Asia’s quest for 2026 continues with Round 2

Wed, 08 Nov, 2023

Asia’s quest for 2026 continues with Round 2

Kuala Lumpur: Asia’s national teams will take another step towards the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ when the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 kicks off next Thursday.

The dream remains alive for the 10 teams that made it through the first round of the Asian Qualifiers last month and they will join the remaining 26 Member Associations to continue their journey.

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Constantine on cloud nine after Pakistan’s historic achievement

Wed, 18 Oct, 2023

Constantine on cloud nine after Pakistan’s historic achievement

Islamabad: As the final whistle echoed through the Jinnah Stadium, head coach Stephen Constantine couldn’t hide his joy after guiding Pakistan to 1-0 victory over Cambodia in Round 1 of the  FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification on Tuesday.

It was a historic moment for Pakistan, who advanced into Round 2 joining Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Tajikistan in Group G.

Nishigaya expects improvement from Singapore

Wed, 18 Oct, 2023

Nishigaya expects improvement from Singapore

Guam: Head coach Takayuki Nishigaya expects a sharper performance from Singapore in  Round 2 of the  FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification.

Singapore defeated Guam 1-0 in the second leg of their Round 1 tie on Tuesday, winning 3-1 on aggregate to advance to Group C where they have Korea Republic, China PR and Thailand for company. 

Chinese Taipei’s focus impresses White

Wed, 18 Oct, 2023

Chinese Taipei’s focus impresses White

Kaohsiung City: Chinese Taipei head coach Gary White was delighted after his team secured their FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 berth after defeating Timor Leste 3-0 on Monday.

Three quick-fire goals capped an impressive performance as Chinese Taipei advanced with a 7-0 aggregate win.

Cabrera hails Bangladesh’s drive, resilience

Wed, 18 Oct, 2023

Cabrera hails Bangladesh’s drive, resilience

Dhaka: Javier Cabrera hailed Bangladesh’s great progress after the South Asian side reached Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification at the expense of a higher-ranked Maldives on Tuesday.

The 3-2 Round 1 aggregate win capped the incredible work the team had put in since Cabrera took over as head coach in January 2022, with the Spaniard extremely pleased to see their sacrifices come to fruition.

Annese: Qualification was important for Nepal

Wed, 18 Oct, 2023

Annese: Qualification was important for Nepal

Vientiane: Vincenzo Annese was delighted after Nepal took their place alongside 35 other teams in Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification after navigating 2-1 past Laos on aggregate.

Going into the second leg tied 1-1, Manish Dangi’s second half goal proved pivotal to send Nepal through leaving head coach Annese with plenty to smile about.

Myanmar's Feichtenbeiner relishing Round 2 challenge

Wed, 18 Oct, 2023

Myanmar's Feichtenbeiner relishing Round 2 challenge

Macau: Myanmar head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner wants his players to view their upcoming clash with Japan as a chance to further improve after the Southeast Asians booked their place in the next phase of the Joint Qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Myanmar were held to a 0-0 draw by Macau on Tuesday but will face four-time AFC Asian Cup winners Japan as well as DPR Korea and Syria in Group B of the second round after a 5-1 win in the first leg in Yangon on Thursday had put them in pole position to progress.

Round 2 set for take off

Tue, 17 Oct, 2023

Round 2 set for take off

Kuala Lumpur: The cast for Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification was finalised on Tuesday.

History makers Pakistan led nine other teams from Round 1 after an exciting day of second leg matches, with the South Asian side booking their spot after a 1-0 aggregate win over Cambodia.

Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 (2nd Leg): Results & Reports

Tue, 17 Oct, 2023

Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 (2nd Leg): Results & Reports

Kuala Lumpur: The first hurdle in the quest to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ was overcome on Tuesday with the conclusion of the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1.

Ten teams advance to Round 2, where they will join 26 other sides so stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.