April 17 – The Korean Republic became the fifth Asian Football Confederation (AFC) nation to qualify for the France 2019 Women’s World Cup with a 5-0 win over the Philippines in the fifth place play-off at the Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan.
September 1 – China kept their Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying hopes alive after a 1-0 home win over Uzbekistan in Wuhan. Asian World Cup qualifying is going down to the wire with only Iran and Japan having secured places with a final round of fixtures to be played this weekend.
June 7 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has rebranded its top two club competitions – the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup – with a redesign.
By Samindra Kunti
April 21 – Aizawl FC and Mohun Bagan square off this weekend in the season’s penultimate match day in a game that could prove decisive for the I-league, and which may propel the team from Mizoram to a historic title.
April 20 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has stepped in to mediate in the search for a venue for the postponed North Korea vs Malaysia 2019 Asian Cup qualifier that was postponed from the original March 28 date and rescheduled for June 8.
March 24 – It was classed as a “home” game but it was played 4,500 miles away in Malaysia before just 350 spectators.
March 21 – With attention switching to World Cup qualifiers this week, the battle for a place at the Russia 2018 finals is no more competitive than in Asia where AFC qualification has reached the half way point. There are no runaway leaders and the traditional regional dominance of Australia, Japan and South Korea is under threat.
February 24 – Singapore’s S- League has signed Hyundai Motors as a new co-title sponsor in a two-year deal believed to be worth $1 million.
February 9 – Money doesn’t always talk loudest. China’s big-spending Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC, spearheaded by expensive new signing Carlos Tevez and with former Premier League manager Gus Poyet in charge, have apologised to fans after being dumped out of Asia’s top club competition by Australian underdogs Brisbane Roar.
January 11 – Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has welcomed FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams saying it can only benefit the development of Asian football.
December 6 – Australia’s 10 team A-League is set to add another two teams and perhaps more, according to reports in Australia.
November 28 – Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers has approved plans to privatise its football clubs after consultancy firm Deloitte conducted a year-long feasibility study.
November 16 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has doubled the prize money for its flagship Champions League final winners from $1.5 million to $3 million.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 8 – The much debated merger between India’s two main leagues may have to be delayed beyond next year as the country struggles to stamp its mark on the global game.
By Samindra Kunti
November 7 – In a historic AFC Cup final Iraq won their first regional club championship at the third time of asking when Hammadi Ahmed scored the decisive goal for Iraq’s Air Force Club to overcome India’s Bengaluru FC in Doha.