September 16 – The expanded Women’s Asian Cup kicks off this Friday with 24 nations in group action as they bid for the final 12 qualifying berths at the 16 team finals to be played next year in India from January 20 to February 6.
September 15 – Defending 2020 Asian Champions League winners Ulsan Hyundai squeezed into the quarter-finals of the 2021 competition last night thanks to goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo who secured them a 3-2 penalty shoot-out win over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale.
By Paul Nicholson
September 14 – The AFC has made a statement on the International Match Calendar consultations,”welcoming” discussion on the proposed calendar revamp and biennial World Cup, and emphasising that it’s focus in the talks will be on ensuring Asian voices are represented.
September 14 – Having conquered most of the world’s ground territory in distributing its broadcast right to its major competitions, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has now taken to the skies and seas.
September 13 – Saudi football is aiming for the sky. On Saturday, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) launched a new strategic development plan that aims to lift the Kingdom to the elite circle of the game by the time of the 2034 World Cup.
September 3 – Asia’s third and decisive round of World Cup qualifiers got under way with a stunning upset after Oman defeated continental heavyweights and top ranked Japan 1-0 to throw Group B wide open. Iran took the lead in Group A after a narrow 1-0 victory against Syria.
September 3 – India will compete in Central Asian competitions to widen their pool of opponents, starting in 2022.
September 3 – Olympic powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, once a major player at FIFA, has once again been implicated in the FifaGate scandal that has snared a succession of high-profile figures.
September 2 – Serie A giants AC Milan has unveiled a new partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai that will see the next World Expo become an Official Partner of the Rossoneri.
September 2 – With the Asian World Cup Qualifiers about to start their final group stage, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has signed their first regional sponsorship with PhinDeli for Vietnam.
August 25 – Iraq’s PRO Company has become the AFC’s new media partner in Iraq for its national team and club competitions as the confederation sells its rights territory by territory in the middle east following the end of beIN Sport’s deal for pan-Middle Eastern rights.
August 20 – Saudi Arabia has won the rights to host the 2021 AFC Champions League final which will be played November 23 and qualify one team for the second Club World Cup this year – to be played in Japan as part of their centenary celebrations in December.
August 19 – The Asian Football Confederation has expanded its broadcast rights deals in Japan with global streaming channel DAZN taking rights to all national team and club competitions, while free-to-air channel TV Asahi will broadcast national team games.
August 19 – The AFC Cup club competition resumed yesterday with group D, centralised in the Maldives, and seeing wins for India’s ATK Mohun Bagan and Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings.
August 18 – Indian sports marketing agency Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) has taken on the lead distribution for the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) broadcast rights in the Indian subcontinent.