Football Asia – Inside World Football

Ronaldo on fire as Asian Champions League Elite last 8 gather in Saudi for final shoot-out

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 03:55:14 +0000

April 25 – The revamped Asian Champions League Elite has reached the quarter final stage with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC kicking off against South Korea’s Gwangju FC tonight in the first of the single leg ties at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.

The competition is now centralised in Saudi Arabia for its final week with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, imperious throughout the competition to date, in action against Japan’s Yokohama F.

Neom SC clinch promotion to Saudi Pro League with win over Al Arabi

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:07:47 +0000

April 24 – Following a 3-0 victory over rivals Al Arabi, Neom SC have clinched promotion to the Saudi Pro League – the professional top-flight of football in the country.

An Ahmed Abdo brace and a goal from Olympique Lyonnais loanee Said Benrahma secured Neom SC’s berth in next season’s top tier.

The promotion marks the rapid rise of a club that lingered for years in the lower tiers of Saudi football before a rebrand under the banner of Neom,

Paris Saint-Germain extend Visit Rwanda deal while penning new Novotel agreement

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:35:20 +0000

April 24 – Paris Saint-Germain, who recently lifted their 13th Ligue 1 title and are enjoying a successful campaign in the UEFA Champions League, have extended a lucrative sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda and added Novotel to their commercial portfolio.

Visit Rwanda was launched in 2019 to combine tourism with grassroots sport development. Branding features around PSG’s home ground, Parc des Princes, as well as on matchday assets, club content, and fan engagement campaigns.

Uzbekistan claim second AFC U17 title with Saudi Arabia win

Andy Elliott — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 09:21:19 +0000

April 22 – Uzbekistan clinched a second AFC U17 Asian Cup title on Sunday night in Taif, overcoming a two-man disadvantage to defeat host nation Saudi Arabia 2-0 in a pulsating final that underlined their rising stature in Asian youth football.

The Young White Wolves were forced to play the entire second half with nine men after a chaotic end to the first period saw both forward Nurbek Sarsenbaev and defender Miraziz Abdukarimov sent off.

AFC calls on FIFA to speed up ruling on Palestine’s Israeli complaint, filed a year ago

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 07:27:42 +0000

April 16 – The Asian Football Confederation has again expressed unity in its support for the Palestine FA and called for FIFA to respond swiftly to the complaint against the Israeli FA (IFA) calling for it to be sanctioned with a suspension.

The PFA’s complaint covers the IFA’s support for military action in Gaza and the West Bank, the allowing of six clubs from illegally built settlements on West Bank land to participate in local competitions,

AFC goes deeper step into esports with launch of eChampions League Elite in Jeddah

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:37:40 +0000

April 16 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is accelerating its entry into the virtual football space with the official launch of the AFC eChampions League Elite (eACL Elite) this month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – the brainchild of its first-ever Football eSports Forum in Kuala Lumpur in late 2024.

The inaugural eACL Elite competition will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City Sports Hall on April 24, running alongside the AFC Champions League Elite Finals,

Singapore commits to 5-year plan to bring Europe’s elite clubs to island nation

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:27:15 +0000

April 16 – The Singapore Festival of Football is set for a long-term revival following the signing of a five-year partnership between TEG Sport and the Singapore Tourism Board. The pre-season event, which previously attracted strong crowds and top European clubs, will return this July with Arsenal, Newcastle United and AC Milan confirmed to take part.

Under the terms of the agreement, the festival will be held in alternate years through to 2029,

Iraq sack Casas after “serious breach”

Andy Elliott — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:54:30 +0000

April 15 – Iraq have announced the sacking of manager Jesus Casas with just two games remaining in Asian qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

In a statement, the Iraq Football Association cited a “serious breach of contractual obligations” by the Spanish coach and his assistants, “including their unauthorised departure from Iraq.”

The federation invoked the dismissal based on Article 14 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfers of Players,

The post Iraq sack Casas after “serious breach” appeared first on Inside World Football.

AFC takes its learning on the road with ACFAM hybrid format in Kyrgyz Republic

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 01:55:07 +0000

April 15 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is going mobile with its educational support and for the first time holding its AFC Certificate in Football Administration and Management (ACFAM) in a hybrid format in a member association country.

Bishkek will be the venue for the programme that will be attended by 32 participants representing the Kyrgyz Football Union (KFU).

The course has been tailored to suit the regional needs of the Central Asian nation,

AFC chief Salman warns against 64-team World Cup expansion

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 10:40:46 +0000

April 14 – Following in the footsteps of UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has expressed opposition to a 64-team World Cup.

Salman told Agence France Press: “Personally, I don’t agree.”

He pointed to the 2030 edition which is to be played with 48 teams, saying that the “the matter is settled”.

He didn’t rule out discussing the number of participants at subsequent tournaments,

AFC Congress reflects on a year of reform, the power of unity and 16 competitions

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 07:20:14 +0000

April 14 – Setting new records has become commonplace for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and after a year that saw multiple records achieved across all its activities, the AFC capped it with a fast-paced Congress that took under 90 minutes to complete.

With no elections, the 35th AFC Congress 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was pretty much all about taking care of business.

The conference opened with a moment of silence led by AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa who expressed condolences for the communities devastated by the ongoing conflict in Palestine as well as those impacted in Myanmar and Thailand by the earthquake which has claimed more than 3,000 lives.

Thailand and China awarded hosting rights to AFC’s women’s youth Asian Cups

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 05:54:51 +0000

April 14 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed Thailand and China as the host nations for its upcoming women’s youth tournaments, marking a significant step forward in the regional body’s strategy to elevate the women’s game across Asia.

Following approval by the AFC Executive Committee on April 11, The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) has been awarded hosting rights for the U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026, while the Chinese Football Association (CFA) will host three consecutive editions of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup from 2026 to 2028.

Magnificent Seven: Record number of bidders for 2031 Asian Cup

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 05:59:03 +0000

April 11 – A record seven member associations have formally expressed interest in hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2031, all submitting their candidatures by the March 31 deadline.

Speaking at the AFC’s executive committee meeting ahead of the AFC’s annual congress in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “The record number of bids that we have received is further testament to the stature and appeal of the AFC Asian Cup and on behalf of the AFC Executive Committee,

AFC Congress to review a record breaking year as next commercial rights cycle looms

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 06:14:24 +0000

April 10 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will hold its 35th Congress this Saturday, April 12, in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, where the regional governing body is headquartered.

To be held at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, the congress is not an electoral event but nevertheless comes at an important time for the AFC after a year that has seen it expand its flagship club competitions and launch new women’s competitions.

The congress also takes place on the cusp of the process to award contract for the sale of its commercial and media rights for the next commercial cycle – perhaps the most important piece of business the AFC has before it currently.

CR7 empire expands with flagships store and museum in Hong Kong

Andy Elliott — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:40:17 +0000

April 8 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s off-pitch brand continues to expand with the launch of the first CR7 LIFE flagship store and museum in Hong Kong, marking the footballer’s most ambitious commercial move in Asia to date.

Set to open in June on the seventh floor of Times Square, the CR7 LIFE store will offer fans a curated selection of Ronaldo-branded products, including clothing, homeware and fragrances. The shop is designed as an “interactive and immersive” retail experience,

AFC kicks off its first Empowering Women in Football educational programme

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 06:00:55 +0000

April 8 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has launched the inaugural iteration of its Empowering Women in Football Programme (AEWFP).

Starting with 47 participants in its first iteration, the online course is being delivered by the AFC’s Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE), and explores the diverse roles that women play in shaping the industry and reinforces the AFC’s commitment to advancing women administrators across the game.

“The AEWFP is a landmark initiative that enables its participants to comprehend how women have influenced the modern game in all its aspects and in doing so,