Son headlines Korea Republic squad

Thu, 28 Dec, 2023

Son headlines Korea Republic squad

Seoul: Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min was named in Korea Republic's AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ squad on Thursday as head coach Jurgen Klinsmann aims to end the country's 64-year continental title drought.

Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan, who scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season against Brentford on Wednesday, was also among Klinsmann's 26-man selection for the tournament, which kicks off on January 12.

Koo: Best chance for Taegeuk Warriors to end wait

Thu, 28 Dec, 2023

Koo: Best chance for Taegeuk Warriors to end wait

Kuala Lumpur: With just over two weeks to go for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, the-AFC.com caught up with former Korea Republic captain Koo Ja-cheol to get his thoughts on the continental showpiece.

The AFC Asian Cup holds a special place in the heart of the midfielder, whose five goals earned him the Golden Boot at the 2011 edition of the tournament. 

Player to Watch: Pham Tuan Hai (Vietnam)

Sat, 23 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Pham Tuan Hai (Vietnam)

Kuala Lumpur: Since reaching the quarter-finals at AFC Asian Cup™ in 2019, Vietnam have seen a number of new stars emerge, and Pham Tuan Hai has developed into one of the most talked-about players in the Southeast Asian nation.

The forward has added new dynamism to an attack that was already brimming with talent as head coach Philippe Troussier – who replaced the long-serving Park Hang-seo earlier in the year – aims to guide the Golden Star Warriors into the knockout rounds for the second successive edition. 
 
Tuan Hai is one that could light up the upcoming AFC Asian Cup, with the in-form Hanoi FC man displaying his considerable potential in the recently concluded AFC Champions League™ 2023-24 group stage.

Al Nassr narrow gap

Wed, 27 Dec, 2023

Al Nassr narrow gap

Jeddah: Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane netted braces as Al Nassr defeated Al Ittihad 5-2 in a Saudi Pro League 2023/24 tie on Tuesday.

The win took Al Nassr to 43 points, seven behind leaders Al Hilal SFC with 18 matches played. 

Europe Wrap: Son wins it for Spurs; Nakamura strikes in France

Mon, 25 Dec, 2023

Europe Wrap: Son wins it for Spurs; Nakamura strikes in France

Kuala Lumpur: Son Heung-min scored his 11th goal of the season in England to help Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur defeat Everton 2-1 on Saturday while Matildas striker Sam Kerr was on target for Chelsea in the UEFA Women’s Champions League during the midweek. 

Keito Nakamura scored the only goal of the game as Reims edged Le Havre 1-0 in France on Wednesday and his Japanese compatriot Koki Ogawa scored to help NEC Nijmegen overcome GVVV and progress to the Round of 16 of the KNVB Cup in the Netherlands. 
 
Islamic Republic of Iran striker Mehdi Taremi scored in a cup win for FC Porto in Portugal, Kim Min-jae guided Bayern Munich to another victory in Germany and Kyogo Furuhashi struck in Celtic's win in Scotland, so join the-AFC.com as we find out how the Asian stars performed in Europe over the past week. 

Player to Watch: Ali Mabkhout (UAE)

Mon, 25 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Ali Mabkhout (UAE)

Kuala Lumpur: The United Arab Emirates go into the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ aiming to build on their back-to-back semi-final finishes. And just as was the case in 2015 and 2019, Ali Mabkhout will carry the hopes of his nation.

Not many players in Asian football have as many records to their name across club and country, domestic and continental football as 33-year-old Mabkhout, and he travels to Qatar hopeful of breaking one of the most important records of them all.
 
Only two players in the history of the AFC Asian Cup have scored more goals than Mabkhout’s nine goals. The Emirati is one goal short of Korea Republic’s Lee Dong-gook and five behind the competition’s all-time top scorer Ali Daei, both numbers he will be eager to catch up with, starting with Group C matches against IR Iran, Palestine and Hong Kong.