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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.
Zhao Songyuan scored China’s second goal from the penalty spot but it was not enough to beat Japan in the AFC U17 Asian Cup final. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese Football Association (CFA)

China youth team finish runners-up in U17 Asian Cup after narrow defeat to Japan

Head coach Bin Ukishima said his players ‘will gain a lot from the trials of this tournament, which will help them improve’ in the future.

AFC Champions League

North Korean women deny they play ‘rough’ ahead of Asian Champions League final

North v South purely a football matter for Korea coach ahead of rare contest

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Kitchee SC

Recrowned Hong Kong kings Kitchee say making more impact in Asia is next mission

Club president Ken Ng Kin aiming to build ‘stronger and better’ team for continental quest, asks for patience over star striker chase.

Kitchee players celebrate after beating BC Rangers last month to win the title with four matches to spare. Photo: Jonathan Wong
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

Young players, who reached AFC U23 Asian Cup final, are playing pivotal roles in their club teams’ strong positions in the domestic standings.

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

Saudi Arabia, who are staging the tournament for the first time, will meet Kuwait, Oman and Palestine in the continent’s 24-team showpiece event.

Japan were placed in Group F alongside Qatar, Thailand and Indonesia. The four-time winners have not won the tournament since 2011. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

Kitchee won the league last month but remain in the dark over which Asian competition they will enter next season. Photo: Jonathan Wong
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.

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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.

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’.

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, Kerala, venue for the Asian Cup qualifier between India and Hong Kong on Tuesday. Photo: Shutterstock Images

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.

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