January 9 – The timing is presumably co-incidence but having cast off the oppressive shadow of Jose Mourinho’s management regime for the more free-flowing joy of Ole Gunnar Solsjaer (albeit interim), Manchester United has announced it will open three “experience centres” in China by 2020.
January 9 – Japan’s captain Maya Yoshida has called on Japan to forget about disappointment four years ago and deal with the pressure at the 2019 Asian Cup. The Samurai Blue kick off their campaign against Turkmenistan in Group F.
January 8 – Iraq coach Srecko Katanec has backed his team to grow during the 2019 Asian Cup, but demanded improvement from his players, citing a ‘horrible’ first half and his own mistakes after a hard-fought 3-2 win over Vietnam.
By Samindra Kunti in Abu Dhabi
January 8 – In a game of nerves, overconfidence and plenty of naive defending Iraq broke Vietnamese hearts with a last-minute free kick from Ali Adnan to win a topsy-turvy Group E game 3-2.
January 8 – Egypt has replaced Cameroon as hosts of this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced today.
January 8 – Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, now in charge of the Philippines, expressed his pride at his side’s performance against hotly fancied South Korea in their first-ever appearance at the Asian Cup Finals on Monday.
January 8 – Just two months after assuring Guinea that they were still clear to host the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, African football boss Ahmad Ahmad is at it again with yet another u-turn.
January 8 – The Somali Football Federation, which last October began a clean-up of its Mogadishu national stadium in a bid to return it to football usage, has now embarked on the redevelopment of its technical centre.
January 8 – Bayern Munich are to impose a “heavy fine” on former French international Franck Ribery over an obscenity-laced outburst on social media.
January 8 – With his re-election campaign surely very much in mind, Gianni Infantino has embarked on a seven-nation tour of West Africa that started in Guinea last weekend.
January 7 – With Iran having set down an emphatic marker with their 5-0 win over Yemen, the battle between the two other group D teams Iraq and Vietnam assumes even greater importance in the bid to secure the top two automatic last 16 qualifying slots.
January 7 – Iran coach Carlos Queiroz showed his satisfaction with his team’s 5-0 demolition of Asian Cup debutants Yemen in their opening game, warning that the Asian Cup is not a “cheese cake” before picking a fight with Persepolis coach Branko Ivanković back home.
By Samindra Kunti in Abu Dhabi
January 8 – Srecko Katanac, the Slovenian in charge of Iraq, is back in the UAE but this time as manager of Iraq. Charged with rebuilding what was an aging team, he has his sights set on 2022. He spoke with Samindra Kunti.
Iran 5 Yemen 0
By Samindra Kunti in Abu Dhabi
January 7 – Iran asserted their title credentials at the 2019 Asian Cup with a resounding 5-0 demolition of tournament debutants Yemen in their opening Group D game. Medhi Taremi, twice, and an own-goal inside the first 25 minutes set Iran on the path of a comprehensive victory.
January 7 – Serbian coach Milan Rajevac was relieved from his role as Thailand coach after a disastrous 4-1 defeat at the hands of India in their opening group A game in the 2019 Asian Cup.