Qatar’s Ali and Afif favourites to burst Palestine’s Asian Cup bubble
January 28 – Confident of their pedigree, Palestine have vowed to saviour the moment as they face host nation Qatar in the last sixteen of the Asian Cup.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Fiery Casas says Iraq can win ‘any match in this tournament’
January 28 – Iraq head coach Jesus Casas erupted after his commitment to the team was questioned during the press conference for Iraq’s Round of 16 clash with Jordan tomorrow afternoon.
Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan dump UAE out of Asian Cup in penalty shoot-out
By Samindra Kunti in Doha
January 28 – Debutants and history-makers Tajikistan stunned the United Arab Emirates 5-3 on penalties following an absorbing 1-1 draw to advance to the last eight of the Asian Cup.
Aussies confident but Arnold wants more after dismissal of Indonesia
January 28 – Socceroos boss Graham Arnold praised his forward line after their 4-0 win over Indonesia that put them into the quarter finals, but recognised his opponents for making the going tough.
Bento licks his exit wounds as UAE now turns to focus on 2026 qualifying
January 29 – United Arab Emirates manager Paulo Bento admitted that his side were punished for mistakes in what he called ‘a bad competition’ as the country exited the Asian Cup in the round of 16 against debutants Tajikistan.
Indonesia’s deafening support unable to silence Aussies’ 4-0 win
January 28 – Australia fought off a determined Indonesia to claim the first place in the quarter finals, in the end running out as 4-0 victors in a comfortable match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium which was filled to the brim with Indonesian supporters.
Indonesia’s Shin Tae Yong says his team are developing but need more experience
January 28 – Despite a 4-0 beating at the hands of Australia in the last 16 of the Asian Cup, Indonesia manager Shin Tae Yong insisted that the team’s performance was strong and better than the result indicated.
Transfer talk: Winter window closing but no sign of big money deals
January 27 – As the curtains of the transfer window edges nearer to closing until the summer, Premier League clubs continue to be linked with high-profile moves, as fans wait for their sides to finally start to splash some cash.
Tajikistan and Šegrt want more from their Asian cup fairy tale debut
January 27 – On the eve of the biggest match in Tajikistan’s history, manager Petar Šegrt has said his debutant side won’t assume the role of underdogs in their round-of-sixteen match against the United Arab Emirates.
Arnold wants more from Aussies. Indonesia’s Yong down plays expectations
January 27 – After finishing top of Group B with an unbeaten start to the competition, Australia are in solid form entering the knockout phase, but coach Graham Arnold believes they can do better.
Klopp to quit Liverpool at end of season
January 26 – In a move that stunned fans worldwide as well as Liverpool Football Club, Jurgen Klopp announced today he is to leave as manager at the end of the season, saying he is “running out of energy”.
Spanish judge rules Rubiales will face criminal trial over Hermoso kiss
January 26 – A Spanish judge on Thursday proposed that disgraced former national federation chief Luis Rubiales be tried over the kiss he forced on Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso without her consent.
Guardiola snaps back at Ceferin over Man City’s pending 115-item financial breach case
January 26 – Manchester City may have done themselves few favours after manager Pep Guardiola criticised UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin for claiming UEFA were right to punish the current treble holders for financial breaches.
True story: Ivory Coast sack coach only to find they qualified for last 16
January 26 – Host nation Ivory Coast sacked coach Jean-Louis Gasset, only to discover they had sneaked into last 16 of the African Cup of Nations through the back door.
Asian Cup heads into knockout rounds with minnows trading blows with the big fish
By Samindra Kunti in Doha
January 26 – The group stage of the Asian Cup was wrapped up yesterday with Saudi Arabia heading Group F, but the narrative for the first three rounds of matches has been the narrowing gap between the traditional powerhouses and the rest.