Thariq Amir

The quarterfinal between Iraq versus Iran was never going to be a run-of-the-mill affair. Coming into the match, Iraq had only beaten their arch rivals once in their previous five AFC Asian Cup meetings losing the other four. Iran, on the other hand, had exited the AFC Asian Cup at the quarterfinal stage in 2011 […]

The group stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup is over and there wasn’t a single draw at all. There have been 24 definitive results in 24 matches, which is quite remarkable. The knockouts have a lot to live up to and there are some tasty fixtures to look forward to. In total there are […]

Japan have been efficient if not spectacular in their defense of the Asian Cup. They dealt with Palestine easily and eased past Iraq. Against Jordan the Japanese had a chance to finish Group D on top with a 100% record and set themselves up for a mouthwatering with the technically proficient United Arab Emirates. Jordan […]

This is a group that featured one dead rubber and a game that would determine who would finish on top. Iran eventually came up trumps against an impressive United Arab Emirates in a tense match. Indeed if the UAE were more clinical in front of goal they could have topped Group C but instead it […]

The 2015 AFC Asian Cup has written itself in the history books. How so? Well after this weekend’s results, the tournament has seen 20 straight games with a winner. That’s right there have been no draws in this tournament thus far. No major football tournament — be it the World Cup, European Championships, African Cup […]

We’re starting to see the knock-out phase of the AFC Asian Cup take shape as two more teams qualified for the quarterfinals. Both the United Arab Emirates and Iran extended their stay in the competition at the expense of Bahrain and Qatar respectively. The pair face-off in their final Group C match to determine who’ll […]

Both Jordan and Palestine needed a result Friday morning to give themselves a chance of qualification for the knockout phase. Of the pair the Jordanians came in with pressure on their shoulders. They had lost their previous six international matches and had not won in 11. If that wasn’t enough in the Jordanians were involved […]

The last round of Group B fixtures have thrown up a tasty clash between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. Both sides have been beaten by Alain Perrin’s resilient China, who in the process have overcome their own mini-hoodoo by securing qualification into the knockout phase after failures in the previous two tournaments. One point against the […]

South Korea and Kuwait kicked off the second round of matches in the group phase of the AFC Asian Cup at the Canberra Stadium. Kuwait needed a win to keep themselves in the tournament whilst the South Koreans were looking to improve on a nervy performance against Oman. The form book suggested a win for […]

Japan got their defense of the AFC Asian Cup with a run of the mill 4-0 victory against debutants Palestine. In a windy Newcastle Stadium the Samurai Blue ensured early on that they would not be the victim of any embarrassment let alone upset. In all fairness Javier Aguirre’s side didn’t need to get out […]

The AFC Asian Cup got into its groove with five matches played over the weekend. One of the pre-tournament favorites, Iran, eased their way to victory. The United Arab Emirates enjoyed a comfortable start, Uzbekistan notched up a win whilst China provided the tournament’s first real surprise downing Saudi Arabia. Programming note: For viewers in […]

The Asian Cup kicked off in Melbourne on Friday with a goal-laden game between hosts Australia and Kuwait. One of the pre-tournament favorites, Australia, eventually ran out 4-1 winners but the scoreline didn’t reflect some of the anxiety the Socceroos suffered throughout the 90 minutes. Ange Postecoglu’s side went behind early in the piece and it […]

“I am seeking the Presidency of FIFA because I believe it is time to shift the focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport”. FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan has announced that he will challenge Sepp Blatter for the presidency of FIFA. Up till now only Jérôme Champagne has publicly thrown […]

There have been 60 games, 258 shots on target, 408 shots off target, 103 goals, 84 saves, 112 yellows and eight reds. Those numbers, statistically at least, paints a picture of the qualification process for Asia’s premier international football tournament the AFC Asian Cup. For trivia fans the first Asian Cup was played in 1956 […]

So the final Premier League games of 2014 have come to a close. Chelsea and Manchester City seem destined to battle for this season’s title whilst Manchester United have climbed up to third after a slow start. West Ham United and Southampton are defying expectation whilst at the other end of the battle to avoid […]