January 22 – Saudi Arabia have become the first Asian country to qualify for the Olympic football tournament, alongside hosts Japan, after defeating reigning champions Uzbekistan 1-0 in the semi-finals of the AFC U-23 Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.
January 22 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed it is moving two Asian Champions League preliminary matches out of Iran to neutral venues because of security concerns, a move that has infuriated Iranian authorities.
January 20 – Iran is considering boycotting the Asian Champions League after the Asian Football Confederation apparently banned the country’s clubs from staging home games.
January 17 – Hosts Thailand and defending champions Uzbekistan are among the teams that progressed to the last eight of the AFC U-23 Championship. Japan, Qatar and Iran were eliminated in the first round.
January 14 – All India Football Federation president Praful Patel (pictured) has said that Indian football will enjoy “global recognition” by staging the U-17 Women’s World Cup this year.
January 2 – Another political row as hit regional Asian football with North Korea withdrawing its women’s team from the final round of Olympic qualifiers being staged in South Korea in February.
By Paul Nicholson
December 30 – China has announced ten cities that will host the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) flagship Asian Cup in 2023. Beijing will be the lead city.
By Paul Nicholson in Hong Kong
December 2 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) crowned their top players and highest performing member associations at a glittering Hong Kong awards ceremony last night that fused modern and traditional Hong Kong with a celebration of the best of Asian football.
By Paul Nicholson in Hong Kong
December 3 – The AFC is bringing forward the award of hosts for its 2027 Asian Cup, opening up a bid process for the confederation’s flagship tournament that will begin early 2020 with the hosts expected to be chosen in early 2021.
By Paul Nicholson in Hong Kong
December 2 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has agreed qualification criteria for the expanded 24-team Club World Cup in 2021 and the three and a half slots allocated for AFC clubs.
By Paul Nicholson in Hong Kong
December 1 – Japan’s Saki Kumagai, a star player in the Olympique Lyonnais triple winning team and a key member of her national side, said that she welcomed the proposal for a women’s Club World Cup saying that it would be a good challenge for Europe’s clubs but “also for clubs in Asia as well.”
November 25 – Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal have claimed the final spot at next month’s Club World Cup after winning the AFC Champions League on Sunday – third time lucky after the heartbreak of defeat in the 2014 and 2017 finals.
November 15 – Marcello Lippi has quit as China coach after a 2-1 defeat by Syria in a 2022 World Cup qualifier in Dubai. It is the second time this year that the Italian has resigned from his role.
November 11 – Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal will take a one-goal advantage into the second leg of the AFC Champions League final in Japan in two weeks against Urawa Red Diamonds.
October 29 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has committed to expanding the number of teams in its blue riband club competition, the AFC Champions League, to 40 clubs from 2021.