Singapore’s Nishigaya satisfied, Guam’s Awa relishing return leg

Fri, 13 Oct, 2023

Singapore’s Nishigaya satisfied, Guam’s Awa relishing return leg

Singapore: Singapore head coach Takayuki Nishigaya and his Guam counterpart Ross Awa took positives from their Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ first leg tie on Thursday.

Singapore won 2-1 with Christopher van Huizen and Jacob Mahler scoring in the first half while Jason Cunliffe’s 90th minute goal gave Guam a lifeline heading into Tuesday’s return match.

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Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1: Results & Reports

Thu, 12 Oct, 2023

Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1: Results & Reports

Kuala Lumpur: The quest to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ begins for 20 Asian teams on Thursday in the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1.

Having been divided into 10 pairings at the official draw ceremony two months ago, these sides will play two-legged ties – one home and one away match, with the return leg on Tuesday.  
 
The winners on aggregate of each pairing then proceed to Round 2, where they join the remaining 26 Member Associations to continue their campaign.
 
Stay updated on all the action with the-AFC.com.

Samuel applauds Chinese Taipei’s winning mentality

Fri, 13 Oct, 2023

Samuel applauds Chinese Taipei’s winning mentality

Kaohsiung City: Chinese Taipei’s Ange Samuel believes experience and confidence were the keys for their 4-0 win over Timor-Leste in their Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ first leg tie on Thursday. 

Chinese Taipei took a 1-0 lead going into the break before overwhelming their opponents in the second half to leave Timor-Leste with a mountain to climb heading into Tuesday’s return leg.

Andersen delighted, Dorji remains hopeful

Fri, 13 Oct, 2023

Andersen delighted, Dorji remains hopeful

Hong Kong: Head coach Jorn Andersen was delighted with his Hong Kong, China's first half display in their 4-0 win over Bhutan on Thursday as the east Asians took a huge step towards qualifying for the second round of the Preliminary Joint Qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Michael Udebuluzor scored twice with his head in the opening 15 minutes to give the home side the perfect start before Shinichi Chan and an own goal from Tenzin Norbu gave Andersen’s team a four-goal cushion at the interval.
 
But while Matt Orr hit the post in the dying moments of the game, Hong Kong, China were unable to add to their haul with a lacklustre second half performance that took some of the gloss off a comfortable win.

Greatest AFC Asian Cup teams – Japan (2000-11)

Thu, 12 Oct, 2023

Greatest AFC Asian Cup teams – Japan (2000-11)

Kuala Lumpur: In the modern era, no Asian men's team has enjoyed the success on the international and Continental stage as that of the Samurai Blue in the period from 2000 to 2011.

Beginning with their second AFC Asian Cup™ title at Lebanon 2000 and culminating in Qatar 2011 with their fourth, and including two FIFA World Cup Round of 16 finishes, Japan enjoyed a period of dominance and records that few have accomplished before and since.
 
While their three AFC Asian Cup championships from four tournaments is the physical evidence of their success, Japan also achieved record finishes at the FIFA Confederations Cup (runners-up) and the Asian Games (gold), while their efforts in the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games were also, at the time, new milestones for the national side.