Rise of the underdogs in Asian and African tournaments

If the '2023' editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup demonstrate anything, it is that the parity in these tournaments stands out among international competitions. Each continent has relative powerhouses. Japan has been dominant in Asia, and South Korea always poses a threat. Egypt and Cameroon have more AFCON titles than any […]

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami could be preparing for another game in Hong Kong. His side, Inter Miami, is in talks to take part in the much-awaited 2024 Lunar New Year Cup, according to rumors from Asia. The 36-year-old’s prospective presence would be his second trip to Hong Kong, having visited the city in 2014. […]

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced a revamping of its club competitions. This takes effect starting in the 2024/25 campaign. The current two-competition structure with the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup will be transformed into a three-tier system. The number of teams participating in the three competitions, 76, does not change. Yet, the […]

Johor Bahru (Malaysia) (AFP) – A wealthy prince and some astute promotion involving US rapper Snoop Dogg have helped turn Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim from footballing minnows into one of Asia's top clubs. The club, commonly known as JDT, has its roots in the former Johor FC and other clubs in the southern state, who […]

Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) – China are on the brink of suffering more World Cup heartache despite clinching an impressive 1-1 draw with Australia on Tuesday in qualifying for next year's football showpiece in Qatar. A 38th-minute strike by Mitchell Duke appeared to have condemned the global Olympic and economic powerhouse to their fourth […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Algeria trounced Djibouti 8-0 on Thursday to match the African World Cup winning margin record for a qualifier set by the Democratic Republic of Congo and equalled by Libya. The Congolese trounced Djibouti 9-1 in Kinshasa in 2002 qualifying and Libya overwhelmed Sao Tome e Principe 8-0 in Tripoli in an eliminator […]

Seoul (AFP) – Iraq held South Korea to a 0-0 draw in Seoul on Thursday in the opening game of the final World Cup qualifying round. The home team dominated proceedings and came close to breaking the deadlock, but Dick Advocaat's side defended stoutly. South Korea's best chance came after a first-half corner, when the […]

Paramount+ today announced coverage details for the start of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions in September, including the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Final Round and AFC Champions League. AFC World Cup Qualifying Final Round action begins on Thursday, Sept. 2 with every match on Paramount+. Asia’s top 12 nations will compete in […]

Nicosia (AFP) – Asia wants a significant increase in its allocation of places in the 48-nation 2026 World Cup, the head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) told AFP. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said Asia was counting on a fair distribution of 2026 World Cup slots, demanding a rise from its four guaranteed […]

Seoul (AFP) – Disgraced Asian title-holders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports after being banned from this year's AFC Champions League over a domestic match-fixing scandal, the club said Thursday. "We have decided to appeal the case to the CAS to justify our participation," Jeonbuk said in an emailed […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Asian title-holders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have been banned from this year's AFC Champions League over a match-fixing scandal in South Korea's K-League, Asia's football governing body said on Wednesday. "The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) independent Entry Control Body today declared that Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) is ineligible to participate in AFC […]