Preview - Quarter-final: Saudi Arabia v China PR

Sat, 22 Feb, 2025

Preview - Quarter-final: Saudi Arabia v China PR

Shenzhen: Saudi Arabia and China PR’s respective qualifying journeys to their AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 quarter-final showdown on Saturday were as different as night and day.

Saudi Arabia had to wait until their final Group B tie, registering a come-from-behind 2-1 win over DPR Korea to book their berth. The three-time champions defeated Jordan 1-0 in their opening tie and had a player sent off in their 1-0 loss to a superior Iraq. 

Group A runners-up China PR, on the other hand, qualified with a match to spare. The East Asians beat Qatar 2-1 and went on a scoring spree against Kyrgyz Republic - winning 5-2 before falling 2-1 to table-toppers Australia.

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/3071607

www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_u20_asian_cup.html/video/afc-u20-asian-cup™-china-2025-|-quarter-finals-preview

www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/3071610

Lee challenges Korea Republic to maintain intensity

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Lee challenges Korea Republic to maintain intensity

Shenzhen: Korea Republic head coach Lee Chang-won expects more of the same intensity his side showed in their Group D tie against Japan in the quarter-finals of the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025.

Trailing to Soma Kanda’s first half strike, Korea Republic kept pushing and were rewarded with a stoppage time strike from substitute Kim Tae-won to force the draw and finish as the Group D winners, with defending champions Uzbekistan their next opponents.

Syria’s Mohammad disappointed; Pereira proud of his Thai squad

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Syria’s Mohammad disappointed; Pereira proud of his Thai squad

Shenzhen: Syria and Thailand bid goodbye to the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 when they exited with a thrilling 2-2 draw that went down to the wire on Thursday.

While the Group D match had its moments in the first half, it sprung to life after the break when 10-man Thailand came back from a two-goal deficit in a 10-minute span courtesy of Thanawut Phochai’s brace.

Goals from Ahmad Al Kalou and Mohammad Al Mustafa saw the West Asians take the lead to ultimately finish third while Thailand closed their campaign at the bottom. 

#AFCU20 - China 2025 q-final pairings decided

Thu, 20 Feb, 2025

#AFCU20 - China 2025 q-final pairings decided

Shenzhen: The AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 is set to take another step closer towards crowning the champions following the confirmation of the quarter-final pairings on Thursday.

The last eight ties will be played on Saturday and Sunday, with the champions to be crowned on March 2.

Poyet happy as Jeonbuk achieve double target

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Poyet happy as Jeonbuk achieve double target

Jeonju: Head coach Gustavo Poyet was pleased with the performance of his fringe players as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC cruised into the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 quarter-finals on Thursday. 

Leading 4-0 after the first leg, Poyet opted to field players he wanted to assess as Park Jae-yong’s fifth minute goal saw Jeonbuk defeat Thailand’s Port FC 1-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate to set up a last eight meeting with Australia’s Sydney FC. 

Rankovic: Sailors ready to compete with the best

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Rankovic: Sailors ready to compete with the best

Singapore: Aleksandar Rankovic has warned that Lion City Sailors FC are ready to challenge the best after the Singapore side advanced to the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 quarter-finals in emphatic fashion on Thursday.

Leading 3-2 from the first leg, Sailors produced a scintillating performance to defeat Thailand’s Muangthong United 4-0 in the return leg of their Round of 16 tie with Rankovic confidently targeting an extended run, with Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima up next for his side.

Venues for AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals confirmed

Thu, 20 Feb, 2025

Venues for AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals confirmed

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has today confirmed the venues for the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals 2024/25, which will see Asia’s top eight clubs battle for supremacy in a centralised format in single-leg ties from April 25 to May 3, 2025.

Following the decision to appoint the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) as the Host Association for the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons in December 2023, the King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah have been selected to host the decisive battles of the most sought-after club prize in Asian football.

Tanaka on the double as Japan beat Australia

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Tanaka on the double as Japan beat Australia

Miami: Mina Tanaka struck twice as Japan defeated Australia in a 4-0 win in the opening game of the SheBelieves Cup in Houston on Thursday, giving new head coach Nils Nielsen the perfect start.

Japan dominated from the outset, taking the lead in the sixth minute when a low shot from Fuka Nagano was directed into the bottom corner by Tanaka.