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Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

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Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football in Asia and Australia. It has 47 member countries, mostly located on the Asian and Australian continent. Australia, formerly in the OFC, joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, and the Oceanian island of Guam is also a member of AFC, in addition to Northern Mariana Islands. Hong Kong and Macau, although not independent countries are also members of the AFC. One of Fifa's six continental confederations, the AFC was formed officially on May 8, 1954 in Philippines. The main headquarters are located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The current president is Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain.
North Korean Naegohyang Women’s FC soccer team arrives at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE
North Korea

North Korean footballers arrive in South, match tickets sell out

The rare visit comes as North Korea has in ‌recent years labelled the South its ‘most hostile state’.

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Chinese Football Association (CFA)

China’s emerging football generation rising to the occasion gives fans hope

Record winners Japan drawn against defending champions Qatar in Asian Cup finals

Fifa

Dutch league avoids chaos as court dismisses lawsuit over Indonesia passport

NAC Breda had contested 6-0 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles, whose defender Dean James was part of Indonesia’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

Mika Godts (right) scores Ajax’s second goal in their 2-0 win last month over NAC Breda, who sit second from bottom of the Eredivisie. Photo: AFP
North Korea

Pitch perfect diplomacy? North Korean footballers head to South Korea

The visit by Naegohyang Women’s FC to South Korea’s Suwon for a competitive match does not signal a thaw in inter-Korea ties, analysts say.

AFC Champions League

Hong Kong title winners Kitchee seeking Asian Champions League answers

Continental governing body proposing revamp of its club competitions, city champions in dark over plans for next season.

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Saudi Pro League

Japanese team with school coach to cap remarkable AFC Champions League journey

Tokyo club Machida Zelvia, who had never played in Japan’s top flight until 2024, are one win away from becoming Asian club champions.

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Machida Zelvia’s Yuki Soma (left) scores the winning goal in his team’s 1-0 Asian Champions League Elite semi-final win over Shabab Al-Ahli in Jeddah on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo
Fifa

Italy underwhelmed by Trump envoy’s idea they should replace Iran at World Cup

Italian minister says such a move is ‘shameful’ while media says envoy Paolo Zampolli made same suggestion four years ago ahead ⁠of Qatar.

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AFC Champions League

Referee Ma Ning remains in Jeddah after AFC Champions League Elite controversy

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad were enraged by two decisions – post-match tensions boiled over, with fans throwing objects and a player sent off.

AFC Champions League

ACL Elite: Kobe expecting tough quarter-final against Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd

Japanese side and Qatari club are among eight teams left in Jeddah in ‌the centralised finals series of the competition starting Thursday.

Agustin Soria of Al-Sadd (left) is challenged by Al-Hilal’s Saimon Bouabre during their Champions League Elite match in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday. Photo: Getty Images
AFC Champions League

AFC recommends expansion of Champions League Elite to 32 teams from 2026-27 season

Kitchee expected to play in the second-tier AFC Champions League Two next season, but spokesman has not heard from the governing body.

Al-Ahli won the tournament last year, beating Kawasaki in the final: Photo: AP

Japan axe coach Nielsen 12 days after winning Women’s Asian Cup for ‘lacking passion’

Football association also said: ‘His coaching was a little too lax, a little too soft,’ the next full-time boss would likely be Japanese.

Fifa

Women’s Asian Cup finalists accuse governing body of ‘ignoring’ prize money pleas

Champions Japan and runner-up Australia say ‘inequality between the men’s and women’s game remains’ despite financial success of their event.

The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong coach Losada ends Asian Cup qualifiers with defeat and ‘mixed feelings’

Interim mentor one of more than 300 applicants for permanent head coach role, with interviews to start this month and decision made in June.

Hong Kong’s starting lineup against India (in blue) featured only four of the players that started their previous match, a 2-1 loss to Singapore. Photo: HKFA
Fifa

Fifa World Cup 2026: after travel ordeal, Iraq hope to secure Asia its 9th spot

Iraq coach Graham Arnold shielding players from Mideast war ahead of intercontinental play-off against Bolivia in Mexico on Tuesday.

The Iraq team, seen here training for their match against Bolivia on Tuesday, arrived in Monterrey on March 21 after a 25-hour journey. Photo: EPA
Fifa

World Cup: Italy hoping to scale Bosnian ‘Everest’, Kosovo on verge of history

Italian coach and fans feel weight of fears about missing out on a third straight World Cup while Kosovars are feeling the excitement.

The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Asian Cup game against Hong Kong on, India says, despite team being locked out

Hosts’ press conference cancelled as Kerala Football Association has not paid stadium owners, but dead-rubber match ‘will proceed as planned’.

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AFC postpones draw for Saudi Asian Cup finals as Middle East conflict continues

Kingdom set to host tournament ‌for first time with 24 teams competing across three host cities in January and February.

Qatar are the defending champions ‌and have already secured their berth at the ⁠finals. Photo: AP
AFC Champions League

Asian Champions League Elite: Iran’s Tractor FC in line for Saudi quarter-final

Jeddah will host western zone play-offs rescheduled because of war in the Middle East on April 13-14, as well as tournament’s final stages.

Roberto Losada

Hong Kong football bosses scrambling for India flights after Nepal cancellation

City team’s preparation for final Asian Cup qualifier thrown into turmoil but phlegmatic head coach Roberto Losada keeping cool head.

Asian women’s football champions Japan need ‘different tools’ to win World Cup

Nils Nielsen says Japan, the only team from Asia to have won the world title, will need to keep improving if they want to do it again.

Japan’s England-based Maika Hamano (left) shoots and scores the winner in the final of the Women’s Asian Cup against Australia on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Women’s Asian Cup: Japan beat Australia in final to claim continental title

The decider culminated a landmark tournament with more than 350,000 fans through the turnstiles, six times as many as the previous record.

Japan’s Saki Kumagai (centre) and her teammates celebrate with the trophy. Photo: AP

Women’s Asian Cup: record crowds mask old issues of ⁠gender, wealth inequality

While attendance figures have been impressive, on the pitch the gap between the continent’s traditional powers and the rest remains stark.

Fifa

Football chiefs stopping bidding process to host 2031, 2035 Asian Cups

Several countries including Australia, Japan and South Korea had thrown their hats into the ring to stage both of the football tournaments.

Australia coach believes team able to ‘adapt’ in final against Japan

Saturday’s match at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium is a repeat of the 2014 and 2018 deciders, both of which the Matildas lost 1-0.

Australia’s head coach Joe Montemurro (left) and player Ellie Carpenter ahead of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup final. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Philippines, North Korea win Asian Cup play-offs to reach 2027 Women’s World Cup

Two goals in five minutes send Filipinas into global tournament in Brazil, with North Koreans joining them after beating Chinese Taipei.

Jaclyn Sawicki (centre) celebrates after scoring the Philippines’ second against Uzbekistan in the Gold Coast. Photo: EPA

Japan thrash South Korea 4-1 to set up Women’s Asian Cup final with Australia

Coach Nils Nielsen says his side have played better despite their utterly dominant performance in Sydney.

Ante Milicic

Women’s Asian Cup: China coach says team on right track despite last 4 heartache

Ante Milicic says ‘brave’ team evolving ahead of next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Japan face South Korea in second semi-final on Wednesday.

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