No decision yet on goal-line technology for Tokyo 2020 football tournament
By David Owen
February 13 – FIFA has yet to decide whether to use goal-line technology at next year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic football tournament.
World Tournaments
Women’s World Cup: Ticket take-up hits 330K as FIFA announces new sales window
February 11 – Individual match tickets for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France will go on sale to the general public on March 7. To date 300,000 tickets have been sold out of a total allocation of 1.3 million.
Qatar’s golden generation break Asian Cup records
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
February 1 – Almost no one was expecting the Qatar national team to drive their way through to become the continental champions in the AFC 2019 Asian Cup that completed in the United Arab Emirates Firday night.
2019 Women’s World Cup refs warm-up in Qatar at Alkass International Cup
February 4 – A 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup referees workshop is being held in the Aspire Zone in Qatar for the next 12 days.
Almoez brilliance and Qatar’s defensive blockade shock Japan
Japan 1 Qatar 3
By Paul Nicholson
February 1 – The Qatar football project is bearing fruit. Ably supported by an army of Omanis who once again had driven across the border, this time in their thousands, to support them, Qatar lifted their first-ever Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi with a 3-1 win over a Japanese team that started as favourites.
Almoez and Al Rawi cleared to play in tonight’s final as AFC dismisses UAE eligibility complaint
February 1 – Game on, all players available. The protest lodged the by United Arab Emirates FA concerning the eligibility of Qataris players Almoez Ali and Bassam Al Rawi has been unanimously dismissed by the AFC disciplinary committee, just four hours before the final between Qatar and the UAE is due to take place.
Asian Cup Final: Qatar vs Japan head-to-head stats
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
February 1 – Qatar is appearing for the first time in the AFC Asian Cup finals and will take on the 4-time Asian Cup champions Japan.
Asian Cup Final preview: Japan vs Qatar
By Samindra Kunti
January 31 – First-time finalists Qatar will seek to make national history on Friday in the final of the Asian Cup by overcoming continental powerhouse Japan. The Samurai Blue will aim for a record fifth continental crown in a final that is predicted to go down the wire.
UAE protest eligibility of Qatar’s Almoez and Al Rawi and demand AFC Final spot
By Paul Nicholson in Abu Dhabi
January 31 – The UAE Football Association has formally protested against the eligibility of two Qatari footballers who played in the Asian Cup semi-final on Tuesday.
Uzbek’s cool and quiet official set to make Asian Cup history
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
January 31 – Uzbek’s Ravshan Irmatov has officiated more matches in the history of the Asian Cup than any other referee, having taken charge of 13 matches in a record four Asian Cup final tournaments.
Tempers fray, shoes fly, as Qatar hand 4-0 drubbing to Asian Cup hosts UAE
UAE 0 Qatar 4
By Paul Nicholson
January 29 – Qatar comprehensively beat Asian Cup hosts UAE 4-0 in what ended up a bad tempered semi-final at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Qatar now go on to meet Japan in Friday’s final.
Qatar and goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb post new Asian Cup record
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
January 29 – Qatar’s goalkeeper Saad Al-Dosari posted a new continental record having maintained a successive clean sheet with his country’s national team in 6 successive matches, complete 540 minutes in the Asian Cup 2019.
Asian Cup semi-final stats: UAE vs Qatar head-to-head
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
January 28 – The two arch rivals will meet today in what the stats suggest should be a fairly even encounter. UAE have defeated Qatar twice in the AFC Asian Cup and Qatar defeated UAE once in their three continental encounters.
War Games2: UAE vs Qatar preview
January 28 – Qatar’s captain Hassan Al Haydos has said his team have what it takes to reach the final of the 2019 Asian Cup as they face hosts the United Arab Emirates in yet another match that mirrors the geopolitical showdown in this fascinating tournament.
Queiroz calls time on his Iranian adventure
January 28 – Carlos Queiroz has stepped down as coach of Iran after his team crashed out of the Asian Cup 3-0 against Japan. In recent weeks the Portuguese has been linked to the Colombia national team vacancy.