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AFC Player of the Year 2009 Shortlist Announced

2009-10-09T05:13:00.004+11:00

The Asian Football Confederation has announced the first shortlist of 15 players in contention for the prestigious AFC 2009 Player of the Year award

The recipient of the award will be chosen based on points earned at various AFC and FIFA tournaments. The winner will be announced on November 24 in a grand function at the Shangri-la Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

NOMINEES FOR AFC PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2009 (in alphabetical order)
NAME NATIONALITY NATIONAL TEAM
CLUB
Alexander Geynrikh UZB Uzbekistan Pakhtakor, UZB
Ali Ashfaq MDV Maldives VB, MDV
Baba Malick QAT Qatar Umm Salal, Qatar
Firas Al Khatib SYR Syria Al Arabi/Al Qadsiya, KUW
Hadi Aghily IRN Iran Sepahan, IRN
Hong Yong Jo PRK DPR Korea Rostov, RUS
Kengo Nakamura JPN Japan Kawasaki Frontale, JPN
Li Weifeng CHN - Suwon Bluewings, KOR
Markus Rihihina IDN Indonesia PSMS Medan, IDN
Maya Yoshida JPN - Nagoya Grampus, JPN
Mohammed Noor KSA Saudi Arabia Al Ittihad, KSA
Nassir Al Shamrani KSA Saudi Arabia Al Shabab, KSA
Ri Myong Guk PRK DPR Korea Pyongyang Athletics Club, PRK
Sayed Mohamed Adnan BHR Bahrain Al Khor, QAT
Yasuhito Endo JPN Japan Gamba Osaka, JPN

2010 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers

2009-06-17T13:42:00.006+10:00

FIFA World Cup 2010 Asian Qualifying Match Day 10 kicks off tonight with competition expected to be fierce for the last of four guaranteed berths in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals to be held in South Africa next year.

Group A sees Japan and Australia playing a dead rubber in Melbourne. Both have already qualified for South Africa and are expected to field under strength teams in order to test their second string players. Bahrain and Uzbekistan play the other Group A match with Bahrain only needing a draw to finish third in the group and earn a place in the second chance playoff. Uzbekistan can still finish third with a win tonight and Qatar has been eliminated.

Group B will reveal Asia's fourth automatic qualifier tonight with Korea DPR, I.R. Iran and Saudi Arabia still in contention. Korea DPR will travel to KSA and if they qualify, it will be the first time ever that both Koreas play in the same FIFA World Cup. Korea Republic having already qualified, will host I.R. Iran in the final game of Match Day 10.

Australia Launches Bid to Host FIFA World Cup Finals

2009-06-14T16:30:00.005+10:00

Australia has officially launched it's bid to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup finals in Canberra today.

Drawing largely on Australia's membership of the Asian Football Confederation, Football Federation Australia (FFA) Chairman Frank Lowy has stated that the people of Australia are the “secret weapon”.

“We believe this bid is realistic and it’s achievable,” he told an audience of politicians, media, past, present and aspiring Socceroos and FFA partners.

“On the world stage, there is no event with the same level of global appeal or audience reach as the FIFA World Cup™.

Mr Lowy said that the cumulative global television audience in 2006 was 26.2 billion with the single largest audience group coming from the Asian Football Confederation, of which Australia is a member.

“Asia is on the rise economically, in terms of goods and services and in football,” he said.

“Australia is part of the Asian Football Confederation and is in the Asian time zone.”

But Mr Lowy said that Australia’s “secret weapon” is the Australian people, and Australia as a destination.

“People from all over the world want to visit our country.

FFA also unveiled a promotional film which showcases Australia as a destination, as well as its football and event hosting credentials, encouraging the world to ‘Come Play!’.

The film showcases the Qantas Socceroos as well as a ball travelling around Australia visiting every state and territory showcasing cities, stadia, the outback, wineries and beaches with everyday Australians in a playful mood.

“We have many milestones between today and when the decision is made and we hope that all Australians can join this bid 100 per cent.”

FFA will be required to make a final presentation to FIFA, football’s world governing body, in December 2010 prior to a decision behind made.

Aus2018 and AsianFC.com fully support Australia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022 and urge all readers to do likewise. Join the official website www.australia2018-2022.com.au and urge your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.

Australia 2018 FIFA World Cup Launch Video

2009-06-14T16:28:00.000+10:00

Three Members of the AFC Book Their Berths in South Africa

2009-06-07T11:15:00.004+10:00

Three members of the Asian Football Confederation have now guaranteed their places at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa.

Japan qualified after defeating Uzbekistan 1-0 in Tashkent, Korea Republic following their 2-0 win over UAE and Australia's 0-0 draw with Qatar in Doha gave it the vital point needed to guarantee the Socceroo's place in the finals.

Speaking from Doha, Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO, Ben Buckley, said that qualifying for a second consecutive FIFA World Cup was a fantastic achievement.

"It's another first for Australian Football"

"Qualifying this time around, with the travel and match conditions the team has experienced, is a true measure of the progress football has made."

Whilst Japan and Korea Republic have made regular appearances at the finals, this is only the third time for Australia and the first as a member of the AFC.

2018 FIFA World Cup: Asian Nations Challenge Each Other

2008-12-27T15:02:00.005+11:00

With Japan signaling its interest in hosting the 2018/2022 FIFA Word Cup Finals, Asia may find itself out of the race before it even begins.

Although Australia is the only AFC member to officially announce its bid, China and Qatar have also shown interest. If all four (including Japan) submit formal applications it is likely that the region's support will be divided and all will miss out.

Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamad Bin Hammam has indicated that he only wants one official bid from the region to ensure the greatest chance of success. This may mean endorsing the strongest bid and encouraging all others to withdraw.

FIFA will select the hosts for 2018 and 2022 in 2010.

Socceroos Defeat The Netherlands

2008-09-07T15:32:00.000+10:00

Harry Kewell and Josh Kennedy have both scored in Australia's win against The Netherlands in Eindhoven this morning (Australian time).

In front of a crowd of over 22,000, the Dutch took an early lead with Klaas Jan Huntelaar finding the back of the net in the sixth minute. It wasn't until the 42nd minute when Harry Kewell evened the score with a penalty following the Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenberg receiving a red card for a foul on Josh Kennedy.

Kennedy put the Aussies in front with a header in the 76th minute.

Whilst pleased with the result against the world's 4th ranked Football nation, Socceroos' coach Pim Verbeek is focused on Australia's upcoming AFC World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan on Wednesday night.

MATCH DETAILS

Netherlands,1 (Klaas Jan Huntelaar 6') - Australia, 2 (Harry Kewell 42' pen, Josh Kennedy 76')

Saturday 6 September 2008
Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Referee: Mr Martin Atkinson (England)
Assistant Referees: Mr Philip Sharp (England) & Mr Muhammed Matadar (England)
Fourth Official: Mr Tom van Sichem ( Netherlands)

Netherlands line-up: 1.Maarten Stekelenberg (gk), 2. John Heitinga, 3. Andre Ooijer, 4.Joris Mathijsen, 5.Giovanni van Bronckhorst (c), 6. Mark van Bommel, 7.Robin van Persie, 8.Nigel de Jong, 9.Klaas Jan Huntelaar (16. Henk Timmer 42'), 10.Rafael van der Vaart (17. Ibrahim Afellay 70'), 11.Ryan Babel (18. Jan Vennegor of Hesselink 83')

Australia line-up: 1.Mark Schwarzer (gk), 2.Lucas Neill (c), 5.Jason Culina (17. Jacob Burns 78'), 7.Brett Emerton (23. Mark Bresciano 46'), 8.Luke Wilkshire, 9.Joshua Kennedy (20. Richard Garcia 78') ,10.Harry Kewell (21. Mile Sterjovski 46'), 11.David Carney, 13.Chris Coyne (6. Michael Beauchamp 70'), 14.Carl Valeri, 16.Brett Holman (15. Bruce Djite 70')

58th FIFA Congress.

2008-05-29T21:37:00.000+10:00

The 58th FIFA Congress has kicked off in Sydney tonight with a lavish ceremony at the Sydney Opera House.

Representatives from 208 National Football Associations as well as the six Continental Confederations attended the Opening Ceremony along with other dignitaries including the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Kevin Rudd.

FIFA President, Mr Joseph Blatter opened the proceedings by announcing that the Iraqi Football Association ban had been provisionally lifted meaning that the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Australia in Brisbane next week can go ahead. This announcement was met with applause throughout the auditorium.

Mr Blatter also touched on one of the major topics for the Congress tomorrow. Plans have been tabled to limit the number of international players in National Football Associations ensuring that fans get to see their own national players in local leagues.

Mr Rudd opened his address to the congregation by acknowledging the traditional Aboriginal landowners, as well as the Peoples of Burma and China who have recently suffered natural disasters. He continued by mentioning the fact that Australia’s “extraordinary cultural diversity…” was a perfect fit for the “most global sport of all” and that Australia’s population could almost host its own World Cup. Mr. Rudd committed the Federal Government’s full support for Australia’s bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.

Prior to leaving the stage, Mr Rudd was presented a FIFA Medallion from President Blatter.

Football federation Australia’s President, Mr Frank Lowy praised the Prime Minister for exceeding his re-election commitment to doubling the national funding for football in Australia. He mentioned that hosting the FIFA Congress coincided with a resurgence of football in Australia and expressed his desire to bring Australia into the mainstream football community.

The 58th FIFA Congress continues in Sydney tomorrow.

FIFA Lifts Iraq Suspension

2008-05-29T20:08:00.000+10:00

The FIFA Emergency Committee has today, Thursday, 29 May 2008, decided to provisionally and conditionally lift the suspension imposed on the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) on 26 May due to serious governmental interference after decree no. 184/2008 of 20 May had dissolved the governing bodies of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee (NOC) and all national sports federations, including the IFA, and set up an “interim committee” presided over by the Minister of Sport.

Since then, the situation has changed. Yesterday, 28 May 2008, FIFA received a letter from the General Secretariat for the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Iraq, confirming that the IFA had been “excluded” from the above-mentioned decree, thereby re-establishing the statutory order of the Iraqi association and its leaders, who will “continue their activities inside and outside Iraq till legal election [within the IFA]”.

This letter is a positive step, however it does not fully answer all of FIFA’s concerns about the governmental attempts to control the Iraqi federations and the Iraqi National Olympic Committee.

Therefore, FIFA has decided to lift the suspension imposed on the IFA, but on a purely provisional and conditional basis. This means that FIFA:
- may re-impose the suspension immediately if article 17 of the FIFA Statutes is violated again;
- will invite a delegation consisting of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the IFA and representatives of the Iraqi government to Zurich as soon as possible to clarify all outstanding issues;
- will continue to coordinate the steps it has taken with regard to the IFA, a body that is an important member of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee, with the efforts taken by the IOC to ensure that the Olympic Charter is applied to the entire Iraqi Olympic and sporting movement.

Sydney Welcomes FIFA

2008-05-29T10:26:00.000+10:00

Following a number of preliminary meetings, the FIFA Congress officially commences in Sydney, Australia tonight.

The 58th FIFA Congress will kick off with an opening ceremony at the Sydney Opera House to be attended by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and international delegates from FIFA’s 208 member federations.

"This is a chance to meet all the FIFA members in our own backyard," Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO, Ben Buckley, said.

During the official two day conference delegates will consider a number of changes to regulations including the introduction of a ‘6+5’ rule aimed at ensuring all domestic leagues have a minimum of six players eligible for the national team of the country of the league.

The Opening Ceremony will be a blend of vision packages and live performances promoting FIFA’s three pillars: ‘Develop the Game’, ‘Touch the World’ and ‘Build a Better Future’.

A purpose built stage including a 16.5 x 3.5m LED screen is one of the largest sets to have been used in the Concert Hall and has taken three days to construct.

Buckley is confident FIFA will enjoy the opportunity to experience Australian hospitality and see the growing enthusiasm for football in Australia first hand.

"Hopefully, they will walk away from the Congress with a positive feeling about Sydney and Australia and where the game has got to over the past few years – as well as where the game is going.”

Iraq FA Suspended by FIFA

2008-05-26T20:18:00.000+10:00

The Iraqi Football Association (IFA) has today been suspended by the FIFA executive committee during the first day of their meeting in Sydney.

The decision follows the Iraqi governmental decree passed on 20 May which dissolved the Iraqi National Olympic Committee and all national sport federations, including the IFA.

The FIFA Executive Committee also decided that in accordance with art. 14, par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, the case of the Iraqi Football Association would be presented to the FIFA Congress on 30 May for suspension until the FIFA Congress in 2009, namely one year.

However, the suspension decided upon today may be lifted if FIFA receives by 29 May, midnight (Sydney time), 16.00h CET, written confirmation from the Iraqi government that the decree has been annulled.

IOC Torch Relay

2008-04-10T15:29:00.002+10:00

The IOC has announced that it is considering abandoning the international legs of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Relay as a response to the escalating protests following the torch en route. In particular, those in London and Paris have drawn significant attention as have the more recent events in the United States.

Protestors claim that their actions are in relation to Chinese human rights policies and their treatment of the people of Tibet. What about the human rights of the torchbearers? Why is it acceptable for these people to be subjected to violence during one of the highlights of their life?

Where have these professional protesters been since Beijing was named host? If they truly stood by their claims, we would have been hearing them for several years now. My guess is that most have just moved on from their last protesting job (World Economic Forum perhaps?). Here’s a suggestion- If you really must protest something Olympic, how about the London 2012 logo? It is truly an affront to humanity!

Put your hand up if you live in a country without at least one skeleton in the closet. Australia hosted arguably the most successful Olympic Games in Sydney, 2000 however it cannot claim to be innocent following the treatment of its Aboriginal communities (something for which the Federal Government has only recently apologised). The UK (London 2012) was responsible for the abhorrent treatment of its own children during the 1950’s as they were shipped out to populate the Commonwealth and France blows up the Pacific with it's nuclear tests. The United States, being the most powerful and influential Olympic nation seems hell bent on imposing its own values across the globe (and lets not even mention slavery). The list goes on. The Netherlands (drugs), Spain (bullfighting), Germany (Hitler), and Russia (Communism).

So why is China different? I am not ignorant to the history of abuse by the Communist Party against the Chinese people, nor am I unsympathetic to the plight of Tibet. I strongly believe however that the Olympic Games is not the forum for righting the wrongs of the past. The Olympic Games should be about forgetting our differences and celebrating our similarities.

Abandoning the relay would be a major disappointment as the Olympic Games are a celebration of excellence and at the forefront of promoting world peace and unity. They bring together nations on a word stage unlike any other event and should be free of any political interference.

Am I looking at this through rose coloured glasses? Probably. Maybe I simply believe in the Olympic Games too much, or maybe I just want to see some great football.

Good luck Beijing!

Australia 3 Qatar 0

2008-02-07T01:33:00.000+11:00

Australia has made a successful entry into the Asian Football Confederation 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Telstra Dome in Melbourne tonight.

In front of a capacity crowd of almost 51,000, the Socceroos dominated from the kick off with Qatar relegated to little more than spectators during the first half. The three goal scorers for the Aussies were Josh Kennedy (10'), Tim Cahill (17') and Marco Bresciano (33').

Qatar played a defensive game however were unable to stop the Aussie onslaught. It was not until the second half that they showed any signs of attacking football however by this time it was too late.

This was the first match of the of the AFC round 3 World Cup qualification. China and 2007 AFC Asian Cup champions Iraq make up the so called 'Group of Death'. The top two teams will progress to the next round of qualification.

Gamba Osaka Pre-Season Training

2008-02-06T15:10:00.000+11:00

After a short off-season, Gamba Osaka has started its preseason training camp in Guam. Their modest aim for the upcoming season is simple, to win three titles. But before they compete in the AFC Champions League and the J.League, they first have a shot at the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship.

Although a number of important players are still absent from the preseason camp due to national team duty, Gamba welcomed nine newcomers in the off-season. The recent additions include Japanese national team defender Hiroki Mizumoto, 29-year old Brazilian striker Lucas Severino, and a tantalizing prospect in defender, Yohei Fukumoto, who captained Japan's Under-20 national team at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup last summer.

But while there is change on the roster, a steady hand remains at the helm. In Guam, Akira Nishino opened his seventh camp as Gamba Osaka’s head coach. We spoke to the seasoned veteran about his expectations for the new team and the upcoming Pan-Pacific Championship.

Q. With the numerous off-season player changes, how has the preseason training helped to solidify team unity?

We cannot expect this new team to be the same as last year because we have nine new players. I hope these new players will put new energy and impact into our entire organization. We are spending a great deal of time together during the Guam camp. Getting to know each other will bring strong unity to the team, leading to better overall performances.

Q. As head coach, what do you hope to accomplish in these last few training sessions both in Guam and Hawaii?

We are building a base so that we can get through the busy season this year. We are continuing good things for Gamba, including strong offense and a fluid passing style. I also would like to add some spice to the team, utilizing the techniques and abilities of the new members.

Q. What should fans in Hawaii expect to see when the "new" Gamba Osaka takes the field?

We hope to show powerful, offensive soccer. This is our style. Because we now have good players in the positions in which we felt we needed to strengthen from last year, I really look forward to starting the new season. As for the Pan-Pacific Championship, I am much honored to be present at this international tournament in Hawaii as a representative from J.League. It should definitely be a good experience for the team and again, we are very excited about starting the new season with this prestigious event.

2008 AFC Challenge Cup

2008-01-17T17:10:00.000+11:00

The Asian Football Confederation has completed the draw for the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 qualifying rounds.

Sixteen teams were drawn into four groups with only the group winners progressing to join DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, hosts India and Myanmar in the eight-team finals which will be played from July 30-August 10.

The four qualifying groups will be hosted by Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines.

THE GROUPS

GROUP A: Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei (hosts), Pakistan, Guam
GROUP B: Tajikistan, Brunei Darussalam, The Philippines (hosts), Bhutan
GROUP C: Kyrgyzstan (hosts), Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Laos
GROUP D: Nepal (hosts), Palestine, Cambodia, Macau

2008 AFC President's Cup

2008-01-17T17:05:00.000+11:00

The Asian Football Confederation has completed the group stage draw for the fourth edition of the AFC President’s Cup and two-time defending champions Dordoi-Dynamo of Kyrgyzstan have been slotted with Cambodia’s Nagacorp FC and Taiwan Power Company of Chinese Taipei.

Under the new format of the competition, eleven teams were drawn into two groups of four teams each, and one of three teams. The three group winners will advance to the finals along with the best runner-up.

The three groups will be hosted by Nepal, Chinese Taipei and Sri Lanka.

The knockout stage, comprising the semifinals and final, take place from 19-21 September 2008. The hosts for the knockout stage will be identified after the group stage.

THE GROUPS

GROUP A: League champions (Nepal), Regar-Tadaz (Tajikistan), League champions (Pakistan), Abahani (Bangladesh)
GROUP B: Dordoi-Dynamo (Kyrgyzstan), Nagacorp FC (Cambodia), Taiwan Power Company (Chinese Taipei)
GROUP C: Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), Ratnam SC (Sri Lanka), Transport United (Bhutan), Kanbawza (Myanmar)

Indonesia to Miss 2008 AFC Champions League

2007-12-13T09:16:00.000+11:00

The AFC Competitions Committee has confirmed that Indonesian clubs shall not be included in the AFC Champions League 2008 as both the Indonesia League and National Knockout competition do not finish before January 2008.

This is in breach of the AFC Champions League Regulation on Eligible Teams which states that the national team champion and champion club of the knockout competition for the football season declared by the Member Association and approved by the AFC Competitions Committee, and concluded in the year preceding the current competition, shall be eligible to participate in this competition.

Therefore, as the league and knockout competition are not concluded in 2007, the Indonesian clubs will not be eligible for the AFC Champions League 2008.

Australia 2018

2007-11-22T17:30:00.000+11:00

Asian Football Central is proud to announce the launch of it's sister site, Aus2018.com.

The new site aims to support Australia's bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals hosting rights.

Whilst Australia faces some stiff opposition from football powerhouses including England and The Netherlands (Benelux), the country has proven itself more than capable of hosting major sporting events.

Check out the site, leave a comment and GOOD LUCK AUSTRALIA!!

http://www.aus2018.com

Asian Bid for FIFA World Cup 2018

2007-10-30T18:05:00.000+11:00

As from 2018, the hosting of the FIFA World Cup™ will cease to be rotated. Under the chairmanship of President Joseph S. Blatter, the FIFA Executive Committee today - 29 October 2007 - unanimously passed a decision to abandon the principle (originally introduced in the year 2000) of rotating the men's World Cup from continent to continent. The confederations whose associations have hosted the two preceding World Cups will not be eligible to bid, however. Consequently, all the associations from Asia, North and Central America and the Caribbean, Oceania and Europe may bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.

With the abandonment of the FIFA rotation policy, member football federations of the Asian Football Confederation may now apply.

Australia and China have already expressed an interest in hosting the tournament but will face tough opposition from football powerhouses including England and The Netherlands (Benelux).

QANTAS Socceroos to play Nigeria

2007-10-23T19:20:00.000+10:00

The Qantas Socceroos will continue their preparations ahead of the commencement of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup with an international match against Nigeria in London on Saturday 17 November.

Craven Cottage the home of Fulham FC will be the venue for the match which will be the final game ahead of Australia's first 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier to be played on Wednesday 6 February.

The opponents that Australia will face in their first phase of World Cup qualifying will be revealed after the draw, which will take place in Durban, South Africa on Sunday 25 November 2007.

Nigeria, ranked 23 in the World, are currently involved in qualifying for the 2008 African Cup of Nations and have just won their group.

"Nigeria are the number one ranked team in Africa and will provide a very competitive match for the Qantas Socceroos," said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.

"It is vital that we give the team another match ahead of the World Cup qualifiers and we look forward to seeing Australia's national football team play against a high quality opponent."

FFA Technical Director Rob Baan will coach the Qantas Socceroos on what will be a vital day for Australian Football. As the Qantas Socceroos play Nigeria the Qantas Under 23s will be in action against Iraq at Bluetongue Stadium at Gosford in a match that could decide which team qualifies for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Sydney FC V LA Galaxy

2007-10-13T16:14:00.000+10:00

Football Federation Australia (FFA) and the Hyundai Motor Company Australia have announced that the upcoming Sydney FC versus LA Galaxy match, featuring David Beckham, at Telstra Stadium on Tuesday 27 November 2007 will be known as the “Hyundai Club Challenge”.

“It is fantastic that Hyundai has chosen to further extend their relationship with Football in Australia by becoming naming rights partner for this very special event,” said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.

“Hyundai has become established as the motor vehicle partner of Football around the world – from the FIFA World Cup through to the Qantas Socceroos and the Hyundai A-League here in Australia. It is fitting therefore that they have embraced this huge international special event, which will provide a great showcase for everything that is special about the World Game.”

“We thank Hyundai for their ongoing support and, like every sports fan in Australia, we eagerly look forward to the Hyundai Club Challenge match,” concluded Buckley. “It will provide a unique occasion to introduce yet another new Australian audience to Football and the Hyundai A-League.”

Hyundai Motor Company Australia Director of Sales & Marketing, Kevin McCann, made the partnership announcement at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.

“The relationship between Hyundai and Football in Australia has grown strongly over the past 3 years and this partnership for the Hyundai Club Challenge is just another example of our support for the game.

“Hyundai is proud to partner this historic match and give football fans the opportunity to see one of the most recognized sports stars in the world; David Beckham,” concluded McCann.

The Hyundai Club Challenge will be broadcast live and exclusively in High Definition by Network Ten nationally in a special three hour presentation, which will also feature an exclusive one-on-one interview with David Beckham.

There are a limited number of tickets remaining for the Hyundai Club Challenge and a capacity crowd is expected on Tuesday 27 November. Supporters can still purchase their tickets through Ticketek via internet (www.ticketek.com.au), phone (132 849) or at outlets.

FIFA Women's World Cup Quarter Finals

2007-09-21T06:23:00.000+10:00

Following the conclusion of the group stage of the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007, the 8 quarter finalists have now been decided.

The Asian Football Confederation can already claim the FIFA Women's World Cup a success having three of their four finalists progressing to the knock out stage of the tournament. UEFA also has three with North and South America qualifying one team each.

It was a nervous wait for some of the teams following a 24 hour delay due to a typhoon in the region.

The next phase of the tournament will be played over the 22nd and 23rd of September:

22/09/07
Germany V North Korea
USA V England

23/09/07
Norway V China PR
Brazil V Australia

Asian Football Central.

FIFA Women's World Cup

2007-09-13T07:14:00.000+10:00

Asian teams have performed well in the first round of group matches at the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 with two wins and two draws. Australia's win was the countries first ever win at the FIFA Women's World Cup finals after three previous appearances.

Group A: Japan 2 drew with England 2 (Japan 3rd in group standings)
Group B: Korea DPR 2 drew with USA 2 (Korea DPR 1st in group standings)
Group C: Australia 4 def Ghana 1 (Australia 1st in group standings)
Group D: China PR 3 def Denmark 2 (China PR second in group standings)

Matches can be discussed on the Asian Football Central Forum http://forum.asianfc.com

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

Melboure Victory Ready for Title Defence

2007-08-19T13:12:00.000+10:00

The reigning Hyundai A-League Champions have launched their title defence with a family day at Melbourne Docklands today showing off their 2006/2007 premiership and championship trophies.

Thousands of fans turned out to meet the players who were happy to sign autographs and pose for photos.

All players were in attendance including Archie Thompson who kicked 5 goals in a match winning performance in the 2006/2007 championship final along with captain Kevin Muscat.

Victoy play their opening Hyundai A-League match on Sunday August 26 against competition newcomers Wellington Phoenix at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

AFC Announces 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification Seedings

2007-08-03T20:05:00.000+10:00

The Asian Football Confederation has announced it's qualification process and seedings in the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals to be held in South Africa.

The AFC has been allocated 4.5 places in the World Cup finals (5th to playoff against the top ranked side from Oceania) and has seeded it's 43 entries based on their performances in the 2006 tournament and earlier qualification matches.

As a result, Australia has been allocated the top seeding as the only AFC member to proceed beyond the group stages in Germany.

The other nations to make up the AFC top 5 and who will each receive byes through to the third round of the qualification process are Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Japan and IR IRan.

Despite winning last month's AFC Asian Cup, Iraq have been seeded 12th and will be required to play in the first round of qualification (08 + 28 October 2007).

The top 4 Asian nations (who will receive direct entry to the FIFA World Cup finals) will be known by qualification round 4 which concludes September 2009. The AFC/OFC playoff will be held on the 10th and 14th Of October 2009.

The AFC will conduct the full draw on Monday August 6.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

AFC Asian Cup Official Champions T-Shirt

2007-08-03T14:37:00.000+10:00

To help support the incredibly popular victory of Iraq in the AFC Asian Cup 2007, an Official 'Champions' T-Shirt has been manufactured for fans of the remarkable achievement. Available exclusively through the Official AFC Asian Cup website's online store, the T-Shirt Features the AFC Asian Cup Logo, the flags of all the competing Nations and the celebratory 'IRAQ CHAMPIONS' message across the front. The T-shirts are manufactured in 100% Cotton and are available at USD $24.00 plus carriage.

The T-shirt can be ordered at http://www.official-merchandise.net/

Iraq 2007 AFC Asian Cup Champions

2007-07-29T23:43:00.000+10:00

asian cup

Half Time Score Iraq 0:0 Saudi Arabia (details in previous post)

Second half slower pace with Iraq still dominating the attack.

46' Saudi Arabia substitution: ON Ahmed Al Mousa OFF Abdulrahman Al Qahtani
50' Iraq free kick just outside box. Delivery well taken by Saudi Keeper
60' Long range strike by Taisir Al Jassam (Saudi Arabia) saved by Iraqi Keeper
63' Iraqi counter attack rsulting in several saved shots by Saudi Keeper Yasser Al Mosailem
67' Younis Mahmoud (Iraq) missed golden opportunity to score with header just wide of the goal
71' GOAL IRAQ: Corner taken by Hawar Mulla Mohammed to far post. Over Saudi Keeper and headed into net by Younis Mahmoud
73' Ali Rehema (Iraq) Yellow Card
73' Saudi Arabia Substitution: ON Abdoh Autef OFF Taiseer Al Jassam
77' Loose ball in front of goal. Younis Mahmoud shot saved by Saudi Keeper
82' Iraq Substitution: ON Ahmed Menajed OFF Karrar Jassim
83' Saudi Arabia Substitution: ON Saad Al Harthi OFF Ahmed Al Bahri
90' 3 additional minutes to be played

Final Score: Iraq 1: 0 Saudi Arabia
Iraq win 2007 AFC Asian Cup
Man of the Match: Nashat Akram (Iraq)

2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar: Iraq, Saudi Arabia and South Korea qualify as top three nations 2007. Qatar qualify as host.

Asian Football Central
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AFC Asian Cup Final: Half Time Summary

2007-07-29T22:28:00.000+10:00

asian cup

Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta Indonesia

Iraq and Saudi Arabia have met for the final of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, both searching for a piece of football history in front of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam.

A win for Saudi Arabia will make them the most successful nation in the tournament's history with their 4th victory overtaking Japan's 3. Iraqi success will be their first continental title and arguably the war ravaged nation's greatest ever sporting achievement.

The match has drawn a crowd of around 45,000 (largely supporting Iraq) reflecting the disappointing attendances throughout the tournament.

Mark Shield from Australia is the referee.

The match commenced at a fast pace with Iraq dominating the attack.

6' Qusay Munir (Iraq) Shot on goal missed to left
8' Younis Mahmoud (Iraq) Shot on goal missed to left
9' Qusay Munir (Iraq) Yellow Card - unsporting behaviour
15' Saud Khariri (Saudi Arabia) Yellow Card - unsporting behaviour
20' Game delayed by an off the ball incident- no cards issued
25' Karrar Jassim (Iraq) Yellow Card - unsporting behaviour

Mid way through the first half, the pace has steadied with Saudi Arabia have had 51% of the possession however have been struggling to make any serious attack on goal.

An ongoing dispute between Younis Mahmoud and Waleed Jahdali resulted in both being issued Yellow Cards following a blatant dive from Mahmoud with no contact from Jahdali. This disappointing behaviour has been a blemish throughout the tournament and is something that the AFC must address in future.

36' Younis Mahmoud (Iraq) Yellow Card - Unsporting Behaviour
36' Waleed Jahdali (Saudi Arabia) - Unsporting Behaviour
42' Karrar Jassim (Iraq) shot wide to the left
45' Yasser Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) shot in front of goal misses over the crossbar
45' 3 minues of injury time announced
45' (+2) Nashat Akram (Iraq) free kick wasted

Half Time score Iraq 0:0 Saudi Arabia

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AFC Asian Cup: Qatar 2011

2007-07-29T20:07:00.000+10:00

JAKARTA: At a meeting of the AFC executive committee, Qatar has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

Following the withdrawal of India's bid and the failure of the IR Iran Football Federation to meet the required deadlines as per the AFC Competitions Committee bidding terms (issued January 2007), Qatar was the only interested nation to meet all bidding requirements.

The AFC Executive Committee accepted and confirmed Qatar FA as the host for AFC Asian Cup 2011.

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2018 FIFA World Cup in Asia?

2007-07-29T14:51:00.000+10:00

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has opened the door for an Asian push to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup at a press conference in Indonesia stating that "Europe, they think they have the privelage of hosting the Cup every third time, but why every third time?"

Blatter named China, India and Australia as Asian nations capable of hosting a succesful Cup.

The 2010 event will be hosted in South Africa and 2014 is virtually guaranteed to Brazil leaving Europe, Asia and North America as the serious contenders for 2018.

Countries known to be interested in hosting the tournament include:
Australia
China
Canada
Mexico
England
USA
Nigeria
Netherlands/Belgium (joint bid)

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AFC Asian Cup: 3rd/4th Place Playoff

2007-07-29T11:57:00.000+10:00

Japan 0:0 Korea (Korea 6:5 on penalties)

Korea has defeated Japan in a penalty shootout at Jaka Baring Stadium Palembang, Indonesia to claim third place in this year's AFC Asian Cup.

In an encouraging move, the AFC announced that the top three teams from this tournament will gain automatic entry to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup (location yet to be announced) Finals giving more meaning to the match which is traditionally a low key affair with little to play for.

The match was scoreless at the end of regulation time with Japan failing to take advantage of being one man up following a red card in the 56th minute issued to Korean Centre Back, Kang Min-soo.

Japan had a number of opportunities during extra time however failed to score with some excellent defending from the visibly tired Koreans and the match went to a penalty shootout.

Both sides were clinical in their approach to the penalties having both won matches in similar circumstances leading into this game. The score was level at 5 a piece following the initial penalty phase and enetered sudden death.

Korean Kim Chi-woo scored his side's 6th goal placing pressue on Japan's Hanyu. His shot was kept out by the Keeper giving Korea the win.

The tournament concludes with the final between Iraq and Saudi Arabia Sunaday evening at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta Indonesia.

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AFC Asian Cup: Referee Named for Final

2007-07-28T16:54:00.000+10:00

Australian Mark Shield has been named by the Asian Football Confederation as the Referee for this Sunday's AFC Asian Cup final between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

His assistants for the match will be Saeed Mohamed (Maldives) and Allaberdiyev Begench (Turkmenistan).

Shield has been a FIFA Referee since 1999 and major tournaments in which he has refereed include the following:

1999- FIFA U-17 World Cup
2000- UEFA U-17 Finals
2001-FIFA U-20 World Cup
2002-FIFA World Cup
2003-FIFA Confederations Cup
2004-AFC Asian Cup
2004-UEFA World Cup Qualifiers
2005-FIFA U-20 World Cup
2005-FIFA U-17 World Cup
2005-FIFA World Cup Qualifying Playoff (Trinidad&Tobago vs Bahrain)
2006-FIFA World Cup

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AFC Asian Cup Semi Final: Japan V Saudi Arabia

2007-07-26T05:18:00.000+10:00

Saudi Arabia have upset Japan 3:2 to move into the 2007 AFC Asian Cup final.

The top three teams (Saudi Arabia, Iraq + the winner of Japan V South Korea get automatic entry to the 2011 version of the tournament).

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AFC Asian Cup Semi Final: Iraq V Korea Final Result

2007-07-25T22:34:00.000+10:00

Iraq have earned themselves a place in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup final following their 4:3 defeat of Korea in a penalty shootout.

Both sides were evenly matched in the first half of regulation time and went into the break scoreless.

Korea had the best chances in the second half however failed to find the back of the net.

Iraq took control in extra time with several shots on target whilst Korea appeared content to play out the draw. The Korean defense managed to hold off the iraqi attack and scores remained 0:0 at the end of extra time.

Iraq won the toss and instructed Korea to take the first penalty.

Korea OOOXX
Iraq OOOO

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AFC Asian Cup Semi Final: Iraq V Korea

2007-07-25T22:16:00.000+10:00

Full Time 0:0

30 minutes of extra time to be played (15 minutes each way)

AFC Asian Cup Poll

2007-07-23T20:12:00.000+10:00

Following the Quarter Final results, the Asian Football Cental Web Poll has been reset to reflect the four remaining teams.

The final results of the previous poll was:

2007 AFC Asian Cup. Who Will Win?

Iran 990
Australia 619
Japan 155
South Korea 81
Saudi Arabia 47
China PR 38
Other 210

Total Votes 2141

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AFC Asian Cup: Matchday 4

2007-07-23T19:41:00.000+10:00

Results from the AFC Asian Cup Quarter Finals:

QF1: Iraq 2:0 Vietnam
QF2: Iran 0:0 South Korea (Korea won 4:2 on penalties)
QF3: Japan 1:1 Australia (Japan won 4:3 on penalties)
QF4: Saudi Arabia 2:1 Uzbekistan

Semi Final Draw:

SF1: Iraq V Korea Republic (National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, MAS)
SF2: Japan V Saudi Arabia (My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi, VIE)

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AFC Asian Cup: Matchday 4 Fixtures

2007-07-19T16:20:00.000+10:00

2007 AFC Asian Cup Quarter Final Draw:

The eight remaning nations in the AFC Asian Cup are drawn from across the continent with each each of the four regions represented.

West Asia has qualified the most teams with Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. East Asia (Japan and South Korea) and South East Asia (Vietnam and Australia) each have two whilst Central & South Asia has qualified one (Uzbekistan).

The quarter finals have been scheduled as follows:

21/07/07
Japan V Australia. My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi Vietnam 17:20
Iraq V Vietnam. Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok Thailand 20:20

22/07/07
Iran V Korea Republic. Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 18:2
Saudi Arabia V Uzbekistan. Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta Indonesia 20:20

Asian Football Stadium

AFC Asian Cup: Group D, Matchday 3

2007-07-19T16:10:00.000+10:00

Korea Republic 1:0 Indonesia

Korea have scrapedinto the Quarter Finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup following a 1:0 result against home side Indonesia.

The only goal of the match came from Kim Jung-woo in the 34th minute.

A win to either side woud have qualified them for the final stages of the tournament however in front of a packed Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, the home side were unable to find the back of the net. Indonesia is now out of the tournament.

Saudi Arabia 4:0 Bahrain

With a 4:0 result, Saudi Arabia has topped Group D and will remain in Indonesia for their Quarter Final encounter with Uzbekistan.

Two first half goals from Ahmed Al Mousa and Abdulrahman Al Qahtani gave the Saudis comfortable lead whilst 68th and 80th minute goals by Al Jassam scored two goals sealed the match.

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AFC Asian Cup: Group C, Matchday 3

2007-07-19T15:54:00.000+10:00

Uzbekistan 3:0 China PR

After a strong start to the tournament and only requiring a draw to progress, China has crashed out with a 3:0 loss to Uzbekistan in the last of their Group C matches.

Scores were level with 20 minutes remaining in the match and things were looking good for China however three Uzbekistan goals in the last 18 minutes from Maksim Shatskikh, Timur Kapadze and Alexander Geynrikh put an end to their tournament.

The loss marks the first time since 1980 that China PR has failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the AFC Asian Cup and has led to calls for coach Zhu Guanghu to step aside.

Iran 2:0 Malaysia

Malaysia has ended a disastrous tournament with a 2 goal loss to Iran.

The home side played better than they had in previous matches however failed to score against the Iranians who have now claimed top spot in gGroup C.

The Iran goals came from a penalty in the 29th minute which was converted by Javad Nekounam and a second half goal from Andranik Teymourian.

Iran having topped Group C will remain in KL for their Quarter Final clash with Korea Republic whilst Uzbekistan will travel to Indonesia for their match against Saudi Arabia. Both matches will be on July 22.

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AFC Asian Cup: Group A, Matchday 3

2007-07-17T00:33:00.000+10:00

The final Group A games have been played in Thailand with the host nation being knocked out of the tournament along with Qatar.

Australia 4:0 Thailand

With a scoreline that doesn't do the host nation any justice, Australia has defeated Thailand by 4 goals. The goal scorers for Australia were Michael Beauchamp (21'), Mark Viduka (80' and 83') and Harry Kewell (90').

Whilst the Australian team fared better than in their previous two matches against Oman and Iraq, they still have some way to go to play at their best.

Apart from the last 10 minutes of the game, Thailand were able to contain the Aussies with their tight defense. As the game opened up towards the end, Australia were able to take control.

Thailand had several opportunities to score during the game however were unable to hit the back of the net.

Iraq 0:0 Oman

With a 0:0 draw, Oman were unable to get the required three points to earn themselves a spot in the knockout stage of the tournament.

Iraq has finished on top of the group and will play Vietnam at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

Australia will travel to Hanoi to play Japan, a match which many people expected to be in the final.

Asian Football Central.

AFC Asian Cup: Group B, Matchday 3

2007-07-16T21:31:00.000+10:00

Disappointment for Qatar, elation for Vietnam!

The final Group B games have just been completed in Vietnam and although the home side was soundly beaten by Japan, Vietnam have qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament.

Vietnam 1:4 Japan

Playing at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam took the early lead in the 8th minute thanks to an own goal from Japanese midfielder, Keita Suzuki. It wasn't long before the defending champions started to assert their dominance and by half time they were leading 2:1 following goals from Seiichiro Maki (12') and Yasuhito Endo (32').

With additional goals in the 53rd (Shunsuke Nakamura) and 59th (Seiichiro Maki) minutes, Japan continued to control the match against the Vietnamese who struggled against their more experienced opponents.

Qatar 1:2 UAE

At Army Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Qatar was playing to remain in the tournament against UAE who could do little more than salvage some pride.

Uruguay born forward Sebastian Quintana scored the first goal of the match for Qatar in the 42nd minute. He was fortunate not to have received a red card earlier in the game when he was visibly upset by an umpiring decision and threw the ball at the Assistant Referee

Saeed Alkas scored for UAE in the 59th minute and Faisal Khalil sealed the win with a goal in the dying seconds of the match.

The result ensured that Vietnam retained second place in the group and has qualified for the quarter finals along with Japan.

The Japanese will remain in Vietnam for their match against the second placed team from Group A and Vietnam will travel to Bangkok to play the Group A winner.

Qatar and UAE are both eliminated.

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AFC Asian Cup: Bahrain 2 Korea 1

2007-07-16T00:21:00.000+10:00

Bahrain has managed to upset Korea Republic with a 2:1 win in their Group D encounter at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Korea took the lead early with a Kim Do-heon goal in the fourth minute.

Bahrain levelled the score in the 43rd minute courtesy of a Salaman Isa strike. Ismaeel Abdullatif scored the deciding goal in the 85th minute.

With one match remaining, Korea is now in last place in Group D and must win it's last match against Indonesia on Wednesday to avoid being eliminated from teh tournament.

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AFC Asian Cup: China PR 2 Iran 2

2007-07-15T21:40:00.000+10:00

China PR has drawn with IR Iran in their Group C clash at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

China started strongly with a shot on target after only 18 seconds had elapsed. They maintained their pressure and found the back of the net with a Shao Jiayi strike in the 7th minute.

The match continued at a fast pace when in the 33rd minute, Mao Jianquing scored giving China a two goal lead.

Iran was able to reduce the deficit to one goal just prior to half time. German born Fereydoon Zandi's free kick beat the Chinese defenders and sailed into the goal.

The early pace seemed to take it's toll on the Chinese during the later stages of the game which opened the door for Iran to take control. They dominated possession and a header from Javed Nekounam with 16 minutes of regulation time remaining enabled them to level the scores.

The draw leaves the two nations equal on points at the top of Group C. Iran should win it's final group match against Malaysia who's performances so far in the tournament have been disappointing.

China faces a tough battle with Uzbekistan with the winner procceding to the knockout stage.

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Hong Kong Dragons: Champions of Asia

2007-07-15T19:14:00.000+10:00

Whilst the current sports focus for Asia might be on the AFC Asian Cup, another football code celebrated it's Asian championships on Saturday.

The Asian Australian Football Championships have been held at the Bangkok Patana School in Thailand with ten teams from around the continent making it the biggest tournament of it's type in the world.

Following a series of group matches througout the day, the Hong Kong Dragons and Bali Geckos qualified for the final in front of over 1000 fans of the Australian game. It was a hard faught contest with scores level at the end of regulation time.

With 10 minutes of extra time played, the Dragons managed to outscore the Geckos to establish themselves as the Champions of Asia for 2007.

Following a presentation ceremony attended by Australian Ambassador to Thailand Mr Bill Paterson, Australian band 'The Fauves' entertained the crowd into the night.

Disappointingly for the host team, the Thailand Tigers only managed to win one of their pool matches and failed to qualify for the final. They are to congratulated for hosting an extremely succesful tournament.

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AFC Asian Cup: Saudi Arabia 2 Indonesia 1

2007-07-15T14:47:00.000+10:00

With a goal in injury time, Saudi Arabia had defeated home side Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Both sides now lead the group with Saudi Arabia playing Bahrain on Wednesday and Indonesia only needing a draw against Korea Republic to knock one of the tournament favourites out of the competition.

AFC Asian Cup: Uzbekistan 5 Malaysia 0

2007-07-15T14:38:00.000+10:00

In their Group C encounter at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Uzbekistan has dominated home side Malaysia to win by 5 goals.

Malaysia, having conceded ten goals and only scored one, now finds itself unable to proceed to the knockout stage and will only be playing for pride in it's next match against IR Iran.

Uzbekistan is now on top of the group with it's next match being against China PR

AFC Asian Cup: Japan 3 UAE 1

2007-07-14T01:41:00.000+10:00

Japan has defeated the United Arab Emirates in their group B encounter at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi.

The Japanese dominated fromt the outset going into the half time break with a 3:0 lead. The goals came from Naohiro Takahara (22' and 27') and hunsuke Nakamura (41').

They reigning champions appeared to lose momentum in the second half allowing UAE forward Saeed Al Kaas to score a consolation goal in the 66th minute however the Japanese still easily held on to win the game.

UAE's next match is against Qatar and Japan play Group B host Vietnam. Both matches mwill be played at 17:20 (local time) in Vietnam.

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AFC Asian Cup: Iraq 3 Australia 1

2007-07-14T00:53:00.000+10:00

In another unexpected 2007 AFC Asian Cup result, Iraq has defeated Australia 3:1 in their Group A match at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

Initially, the Socceroos played like a different team from the one which drew 1:1 with Oman on Sunday however they couldn't sustain their early momentum. Mark Bresciano had two early shots on goal with the first wide to the left and the second saved by the Iraqi keeper.

In the 22nd minute, Iraq midfielder Nashat Akram scored a goal from a long range free kick. Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer appeared to lose sight of the ball and it bounced over the goal line. Iraq managed to hold onto the lead going into the break.

Australia struck back quickly after half time during their best spell of the match. Mark Viduka headed the ball home in the 47th minute levelling the score. The goal seemed to trigger the Aussies back into action but this did not last for long. Technical errors led to two more Iraqi goals and the Australians appeared to lose interest.

In a further blow to the Australians, star defender Lucas Neill received a red card. Clearly frustrated by the Iraqi time wasting tactics, Neill received his second yellow card of the match during injury time resulting in him being sent off and ineligible for the crucial game on Monday against Thailand.

The small, predominantly Australian crowd was vocal in it's disapproval of the Australian performance booing the team off the pitch at the end of the game. The few Iraqi supporters were chanting "Aussies Go Home" and "Go Play Rugby", clearly enjoying the win.

At the post match press conference, a devastated Australian coach Graham Arnold was scathing in his assessment of the Australian players. He blamed each of the three Iraq goals on individual player errors and stated that "...some of the players don't want to be here and that's a major disappointment." The result has renewed calls for his replacement as Australian manager.

Australia's final chance at progressing to the knockout stage of the tournament is against home side Thailand on Monday. Iraq will play Oman.

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Asian Australian Football Championships

2007-07-13T00:44:00.000+10:00

The DownUnder Sports Bistro Asian Australian Football Championships will be held this Saturday (14 July) at the Patana School Fields (2/38 Soi La Salle, Sukhumvit 105, Bang Na) in Bangkok Thailand.

The tournament commences at 08:30 with the final scheduled for 16:10

All sports lovers are invited to attend and support their favourite of ten Asian teams: Bali Geckos, China Reds, Hong Kong Dragons, ANZ Jakarta Bintangs, Malaysian Warriors, Singapore Wombats, UAE Heat, Tokyo Goannas, Vietnam Swans and the local favourites, Thailand Tigers.

Refreshments will be available at the ground and entertainment will be provided later on at the DownUnder Sports Bistro (Sukhumvit Soi 23).

The Bistro will also be providing a free shuttle service to the ground hourly from 09:00 until 15:00

Additional information is available on the Thailand Tigers website: www.thailand-tigers.com

Asian Football Central

AFC Asian Cup: Vietnam 1 Qatar 1

2007-07-13T00:27:00.000+10:00

Vietnam and Qatar have played out a 1:1 draw In a fast paced game at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi.

The game started with Vietnam's speed and technical skill winning the contest until Qatar's strength took over.

Vietnam took the lead in the 32nd minute following an error by the Qatar Goalkeeper. Whilst the keeper initially apeared to save Phan Thanh Binh's long range shot, he lost control of the ball and it rolled over the goal line.

Qatar struck back with a little over 10 minutes of regulation play with a goal from Sebastian Quintana. Numerous opportunities followed for Qatar to snatch a win but luck was not on their side.

Group B comtinues with Japan playing UAE tomorrow.

Asian Football Central

AFC Asian Cup: Thailand 2 Oman 0

2007-07-12T22:24:00.000+10:00

Thailand have tonight put themselves into serious contention for one of the two Group A quarter final spots having defeated Oman 2:0. The win places additional pressure on Australia and Iraq who play tomorrow night.

Thailand's superior technical skills frustrated the Omani players who received 4 yellow cards in the first half.

Pipat Tonkanya was the hero for the home nation. Starting the game as a substitute, the 28 year old scored both of Thailand's goals in the 70th and 78th minutes.

Thailand's final Group A game will be against Australia on Monday July 16 at 19:35 (Bangkok time).

Asian Football Central

FIFA U-20 World Cup: Japan Out.

2007-07-12T16:06:00.000+10:00

The Japanese have been knocked out of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

Japan led 2:0 following goals from Makino (22') and Morishima (47') however were unable to fend off the Czech team.

Scores were level (2:2) at the completion of regulation time and neither side could break the deadlock during extra time.

The match went into a sudden death penalty shoot out and the last remaining AFC representative in the tournament lost to the Czech Republic 3:4.

Other match results from the round of 16:
AUT 2: 1 GAM
USA 2:1 URU (extra time)
ESP 4:2 BRA (extra time)

Asian Football Central

AFC Asian Cup: Korea Republic 1 Saudi Arabia 1

2007-07-12T01:04:00.000+10:00

Korea Republic and Saudi Arabia have played out a 1:1 draw in the Group D game at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jarkarta.

The match was scoreless going into the half time break. Korea Republic managed to break the deadlock in the 66th minute with a header from 'Little Maradona', Choi, Sung Kuk.

A questionable penalty was to Saudi Arabia in the 77th minute was converted by Yasser Al Qahtani.

With 30 seconds of the match remaining, Saad Al Harthi had a golden opportunity to snatch the game for Saudi Arabia when he received a pass in front of goal. He only had to beat the Korean keeper however his shot was off to the right leaving the scores tied at one a piece.

With approximately 5 minutes left in the game, half of the stadium was thrown into darkness as the result of a power failure. The match was halted for nearly 30 minutes as players and officials waited for technicians to rectify the situation.

This game concludes match day one of the tournament.

Match day 2 commences tomorrow with a Group A encounter between Thailand and Oman whilst Qatar plays Vietnam in Group B.

Asian Football Central

AFC Asian Cup: Iran 2 Uzbekistan 1

2007-07-11T22:16:00.000+10:00

Iran has overcome an initial scare to defeat Uzbekistan 2:1 in their opening AFC Asian Cup Group C encounter at Bukit Jalil National Stadim in Malaysia.

Uzbekistan took the early lead following an Iranian defensive error in the 16th minute which resulted in an own goal from Rahman Rezaei. The veteran defender's attempted clearance lobbed over the keeper's head and Uzbekistan found themselves one goal in front.

Uzbekistan Appeared to tire in the second half and Iran took control of the game. Their first goal came in the 55th minute from Sayed Jalal Hosseini and Javed Kazemian put Iran in front with 12 minutes remaining in regulation time.

Three yellow cards were issued by referee S Al Fadhl, all for unsportsmanlike behaviour: Andranik Teymourian (IRN), Medi Mahdavikia (IRN) and Aslom Inomov (UZB).

The next Group C match will be Uzbekistan V Malaysia on Saturday

AFC Asian Cup: China 5 Malaysia 1

2007-07-11T00:11:00.000+10:00

China has defeated Malaysia by four goals in their Group C encounter at National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

The Chinese dominated the match with goals from Han Peng (15',55'), Shao Jiayi (36') and Wang Dong (51',90')

Malaysian Indra Putra Mahayuddin managed to score a consolation goal in the 72nd minute however it was too late for the home team disappointing the local crowd.

The next match in Group C will be Uzbekistan V Iran on Wednesday.

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AFC Asian Cup: Indonesia 2 Bahrain 1

2007-07-10T22:31:00.001+10:00

Indonesia has defeated Bahrain in their opening Group D match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium In Jakarta.

In a free flowing match in which 8 Yellow Cards were issued by referee L Kia Tong, Indonesia appeared to make better use of their opportuities with basic errors in front of the goal costing Bahrain dearly.

Indonesia led initially courtesy of a Budi Sudarsono strike in the 14th minute. Bahrain replied in the 27th minute with a goal from Sayed Mahmood Jalal and teh scores remained level until the 14th minute of the second half.

Bambang Pamungas was the hero for the home side with his succesful strike following a save which the Bahrain Goal Keeper deflected onto the goal post.

The next match in the tough Group D will be Korea Repulic and Saudi Arabia tomorrow.

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AFC Asian Cup: Japan 1 Qatar 1

2007-07-10T17:14:00.000+10:00

Qatar has held Japan to a draw in their first Group B match at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi. The result leaves host Vietnam on top of Group B as the only team with 3 points.

Japan looked the dominant team for much of the game but were unable to score until the 61st minute. A strike from Naohiro Takahara found the back of the net however several passing errors prevented the defending champions from running aaway with the game.

A goal from Sebastian Quintana with 2 minutes remaining enabled Qatar to salvage the draw.

Vietnam will play Qatar on July 12th and Japan will play UAE on the 13th.

FIFA U-20 World Cup Stage 2 Begins

2007-07-09T17:09:00.000+10:00

Following the completion of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Stage, the knockout phase is about to commence.

Disappointingly for the Asian Football Confederation, only one of it's representatives has managed to progress. Japan is the sole Asian team having topped Group F with wins over Scotland and Costa Rica, and a draw with the group second placegetter, Nigeria.

The other Asian teams were disappointing with Jordan and Korea Republic coming last in groups B and D respectively, and Korea DPR finishing third in Group E.

Japan's opponent in their round of 16 match on July 11 will be the Czech Republic. A win in this game will lead to a quarter final tie with either Spain or Brazil (who only qualified as one of the best third place getters).

The African nations have proven the surprise of the tournament with all four reaching Stage 2.

The tournament concludes with the final at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto on July 22.

Asian Football Central
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AFC Asian Cup. Vietnam 2 UAE 0

2007-07-09T02:38:00.000+10:00

In the second unexpected result of the day, Vietnam has beaten the United Arab Emirates 2:0 with goals coming from Huynh Quang Thanh (63') and Le Cong Vinh (73') in front of a near sell out crowd at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.

The win puts Vietnam in a strong position to progress to the quarter finals behind expected Group B winners Japan however with games to come against Japan and Qatar, they still have some work ahead.

UAE had several opportunities to score in the match, particuarly in the first half but the visitors were unable to put the ball into the back of the net.

Vietnam on the other hand came out firing after the half time break and if it wasn't for the UAE goalkeeper Majed Naser, the home team could have made things worse for the Arab side.

Vietnam's next match will be against atar on Thursday 12/07 and UAE will be playing Japan on Monday 16/07.

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Oman Holds Australia to a Draw

2007-07-08T23:54:00.000+10:00

In an unexpected result at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, Oman has drawn with Australia 1-1 at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. The result leaves all teams in Group A level following a 1-1 draw last night between Thailand and Iraq.

The Arab nation almost took the match having held the lead for most of the game following a goal from Badar Al-Maimmani in the 31st minute. It wasn't until the 91st minute that Australia was able to salvage a point with a goal from Tim Cahill.

Oman had several opportunities to seal the match however outstanding saves by Australian Goal Keeper Mark Schwarzer managed prevent a loss for the tournament favourites.

Oman appeared to handle the oppressive weather conditions much better than Australia and were clearly in control for most of the game. Australian coach Graham Arnold said at the post match press conference that some of his players lost 4-5kg during the 90 minutes. He stated that it wasn't an excuse, just a reality that Australian's face difficulties in this kind of heat and humidity. Australian sports scientists believed that 10-12 days would be enough to adjust to the conditions however their 16 days in Asia was not sufficient for a day like today.

Omani coach Gabriel Calderon was disappointed with the result having led until extra time. When asked if he now believed that Australia was not as powerful as everyone expected, he replied by saying that Oman played well today but Australia is still a good team. He stated that Oman was concentrating on the Group A games before thinking too far ahead. "We have 3 finals to focus on... we played one today and have another two before the knockout stage".

Six Yellow Cards were handed out by referee Eddy Maillet (Seychelles) during the game which attracted a very disappointing crowd. Omani stalling tactics clearly disappointing the Socceroos fans with chants of 'Bullshit' heard around the stadium.

Both teams now have a break with Oman playing Thailand on Thursday and Australia playing Iraq on Friday.

Asian Football Cental
http://asianfc.com

Japan Tops Group at FIFA U-20 World Cup

2007-07-08T12:53:00.000+10:00

Japan has ended the group stage of the FIFA U-20 world cup in Canada with a 0-0 draw with African side Nigeria. Both teams had their chances during the match however neither was able to convert any goals.

Following the result, Japan has finished on top of Group F with 7 points, beating Nigeria for the position on goals scored.

The news is not so good for the other Asian representatives with all being eliminated following the conclusion of their respective groups. Jordan finished last in Group B, Korea Republic last in Group D and Koread DPR were third in Group E.

As winner of their group, Japan will stay in Victoria for their quarter final match against Czech Republic on Wednesday July 11.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

AFC Asian Cup: Thailand 1 Iraq 1

2007-07-08T01:06:00.000+10:00

Thailand and Iraq have ended with a draw In the opening game of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

Heavy rain initiall caused concern however the downpour eased in time for the match to go ahead as planned.

With a small but passionate Crowd, the home team took the early lead with a penalty in the 6th minute converted by Sutee Suksomkit. Iraq managed to score the equaliser in the 32nd minute with Younis Mahmoud managing a succesul header over the Thai Goal Keeper.

Following the Iraq goal, it appeared that the Thai's may be in trouble. Unable to match the size and strength of the opposition, they struggled to control the game. To their credit, they outplayed the visitors in the second half but were unable to reclaim the lead.

The next Group A match is Austalia V Oman at Rajamangala Stadium Sunday

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

2007 AFC Asian Cup Begins

2007-07-08T00:25:00.000+10:00

Asia's biggest sporting event has commenced with an opening ceremony at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

Heavy rain fell just prior to the scheduled start time causing concern for organisers and forcing the entertainers undercover. Fortunately, it eased in time for the opening to go ahead.

Whilst the rain may have affected crowd numbers, those that braved the weather witnessed traditional Thai dancers, drummers, human puppets and fireworks. Tata Young performed the official tournament song.

Record Television Audiences Expected For 2007 AFC Asian Cup

2007-07-07T09:33:00.001+10:00

Television broadcast of this year's AFC Asian Cup™, the continent’s premier football tournament is expected to reach record audiences in almost every country across the Asia-Pacific region.

Through pan-Asian satellite, terrestrial and cable stations, fans in virtually every corner of Asia can follow and experience top-class live football on channels such as ESPN/Star Sports, ART in the Middle East, Fox Sports in Australia, CCTV in China, TV Asahi In Japan, SBS Sports in South Korea and, in the four host countries through RCTI, RTM, Channel 7 and VTC.

All 32 matches featuring sixteen of Asia's best teams will be broadcast during the tournament which is being staged in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam from July 7 to 29.

The Asian Cup will also be going mobile with fans in Hong Kong and South Korea being able to view video clips of match highlights and receive daily scores and player information on their hand phones through a service being made available by operators Hutchison and TU Media respectively.

“Every Asian football fan from Lebanon in the West to Japan in the East can follow Asian Cup action live on a variety of satellite, terrestrial and cable channels,” said Seamus O'Brien, President and CEO, World Sport Group - the exclusive marketing arm of the Asian Football Confederation, responsible for managing the sponsorship, television and mobile rights for this event.

In other AFC news, Kwon Jong Chul of Korea Republic will referee the opening match between co-hosts Thailand and Iraq at the Rajamangala Stadium.

He will be assisted by Jeong Hae Sang (Korea Republic) and Hassouneh Awni (Jordan). Karim Jasim will be the fourth official.

Japan Continues Form in Canada

2007-07-06T21:04:00.000+10:00

Japan continues to impress at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

After two wins they lead their group having beaten Scotland and Costa Rica. The team has one match left against African powerhouse Nigeria before the knockout stage of the tournament. Regardless of the outcome, Japan will comfortably progress as one of the top 2 teams of group F.

The other Asian representatives are not performing as well:

Jordan: With their final game against group B leader Spain, Jordan looks to be out of the tournament.
Korea Republic: In a close group currently led by the USA, Korea Republic still has a chance pending their final game against Poland
Korea DPR: Following draws against Panama and the Czech Republic, Korea DPR can also progress however it has a tough task ahead with it's final match being against Argentina, one of the favourites to claim the title.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup continues today

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

Socceroos in Bangkok

2007-07-06T15:57:00.000+10:00

With the AFC Asian Cup kickoff a little over 24 hours away, the Socceroos have been training well and appear to be coping with the oppressive Bangkok heat.

The team held two training sessions yesterday with the second at Supachalasai Stadium being open to the public. A small group of loyal fans attended who along with much of Asia, believe that the Aussies have a real chance of lifting the trophy at the end of the tournament.

Earlier in the day, Mark Bresciano and Brett Emerton attended a publicity event at a local sports store. Whilst the team are aware that they are considered favourites to win the Asian Cup, they appear to be takining in their stride. Bresciano stated that "People are expecting us to go all the way but you have to remember we are up against some good teams..."

The Australian's first match will be against Oman on July 8.

LA Galaxy to Play Sydney FC

2007-07-03T14:05:00.001+10:00

Football Federation Australia (FFA) today announced that the US Major League Soccer(MLS) Team LA Galaxy will play a one-off match against the Hyundai A-League's Sydney FC in Australia later this year.

The match will be held at Sydney's Telstra Stadium on November 27 and it is expected that Galaxy's recent signing David Beckham will be in attendance.

The match will coincide with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Conference Annual Awards night which will be held in Sydney from the 27-29 November 2007.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

Meet the Thai and Australian Players

2007-07-03T14:01:00.000+10:00

Representatives from both the Australian and Thailand Football Teams will be available to meet during a “Fans Meet the Stars LIVE” session on July 5, 2007.

The session will begin at 13:00, at Sports Revolution at Siam Centre and is sponsored by Nike Thailand and the AFC.

Fans will have the opportunity to meet the stars and get autographs, purchase tickets for the AFC Asian Cup 2007™, as well as win exclusive and limited edition AFC Asian Cup 2007™ merchandise.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

AFC Asian Cup Assistant Referees Fail Fitness Test

2007-07-03T13:55:00.000+10:00

Two of the named Assistant Referees for the AFC Asian Cup have failed a fitness test and been dropped from the official roster.

U Kway Win of Myanmar and Mohamed Ibrahim Ali of Qatar will no longer officiate in the AFC Asian Cup 2007™ which kicks off on July 7 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok with a match between co-hosts Thailand and Iraq.

The tournament will proceed with two less Assistant Referees as a result as the pair will not be replaced.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

AFC Asian Cup Official Song Available for Download

2007-07-03T13:43:00.000+10:00

The official 2007 AFC Asian Cup song 'I Believe' by Tata Young is now available for download at the official Asian Cup Website afcasiancup.com.

Young's road to fame began early when she won a nationwide talent contest in Thailand at the age of 11. Now 26, her single 'I Believe' has already sold millions of copies across Asia and has been named the sexiest entertainer in Thailand by FHM in 2007.

She will be performing at the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup™ between Thailand and Iraq at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on July 7.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

Japan Stand Out in Canada

2007-07-02T17:42:00.000+10:00

Japan were the stand out Asian team during the first round of matches at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Playing against Scotland in their Group F game, the Japanese won 3:1 and now sit on top of their group which also includes Nigeria and Costa Rica.

All other Asian representatives ended their first group matches with draws:
Korea Republic 1:1 USA
Jordan 1:1 Zambia
Korea DPR 0:0 Panama

Asian Football Central

Full Time Singapore V Australia

2007-06-30T23:43:00.000+10:00

Singapore v Australia Friendly. Singapore National Stadium.

A tale of two halves.

During the first 45 minutes, Australia appeared to struggle in the heat creating several opportunities for Singapore. With a number of shots on target (including two hitting the goal post), Singapore could have taken the early lead and placed Australia under pressure.

This proved not to be the case and both team were scoreless going into the half time break.

Australia came out and dominated the second half proving why they are one of the favourites to win the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

Two goals to Mark Viduka and one to Harry Kewell resulted in a 3:0 win to the visitors.

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

Half Time Singapore V Australia

2007-06-30T22:24:00.000+10:00

Friendly at Singapore National Stadium.

Australia 0 : Singapore 0

Web Poll Has Australia To Win

2007-06-28T17:50:00.000+10:00

asian cup

According to the Asian Football Central web poll, Australia is favourite to win the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

With over 1000 votes recorded, Australia has received 40% with IR Iran second on 35%. The poll will continue running right through the tournament.

The full results so far:
Australia 40%
IR Iran 35%
Japan 7%
Korea Republic 4%
Saudi Arabia 2%
China PR 2%
Other 10%

Asian Football Central
http://asianfc.com

AFC Asian Cup Fever Grows

2007-06-27T08:40:00.000+10:00

With a little over a week until the start of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the excitement is building across Asia.

Festivals and competitions in the four host nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand) have added to the expectation with highlights including final warm up matches for the competing teams, the naming of the official song, media and fan competitions, opportunities to meet the players and mini tournaments.

With the debut of the AFC's newest member Australia, along with the traditional powerhouses of Japan, Saudi Arabia, Korea Republic and IR Iran, this is shaping up to be the greatest AFC Asian Cup ever.

Thousands of fans are expected to arrive in the host nations over the coming week having travelled from every corner of the continent.

India Withdraws 2011 Bid

2007-06-25T23:27:00.000+10:00

India has officially withdrwn it's bid to host the 2011 version of the AFC Asian Cup.

With IR Iran yet to submit it's formal bid documentation, Qatar is hotting up as the favourrite to host the event.

All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Alberto Colaco told news agencies that they would not be able to meet the huge and stringent infrastructural requirements.

“We are not making a formal bid,” Colaco told the media. “We need two international standard stadiums in each of the cities where matches will be played. It is very tough."

AFC will announce the hosts of the 2011 edition in Jakarta on July 29 following the AFC Executive Committee meeting on the sidelines of the AFC Asian Cup 2007™ final at the Gelora Bungkarno Stadium later in the evening.

Qatar Bids for 2011

2007-06-20T20:33:00.000+10:00

asian cup

Qatar has officially submitted it's bid to host the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, meeting the deadline with two days to spare.

The two other nations bidding to host the tournament (India and Iran) have yet to submit the required documentation meaning Qatar is now in a strong position to be awarded the hosting rights.

Qatar Football Association General Secretary Saud Al Mohannadi and Technical Director Dr. Athanasios Batsilas handed over the bid documents to AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam at the AFC headquarters.

“We are happy to be the first of the three contenders to submit our documents. We worked hard along with the relevant ministries to complete the requirements,” Al Mohannadi said.

“We successfully hosted the Asian Games in December last year which shows our abilities as a host of major international events. We hope that AFC Executive Committee will be satisfied with our bid and give us a chance to host the biggest Asian football event in four year’s time.”

The current rotational policy of the AFC in granting hosting rights will end following West Asia's turn in 2011. This leaves the door open for the AFC's newest member association (Football Federation Australia) to bid for 2015.

Asian Football Central

Asian Australian Football Championships

2007-06-15T18:28:00.000+10:00

australian football

Aussies (and others) travelling to Bangkok for the AFC Asian Cup in July will be able to take a break from the 'round ball' game and see some great Australian Rules football at the 2007 Asian Australian Football Championships.

Ten teams from China, Dubai, Hong Kong, Indonesia (two teams – Bali and Jakarta) Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and of course Thailand will compete for the coveted Asian Australian Rules Football Championship at the Patana International School on Saturday July 14.

Thailand Tigers Organising Committee Chairman, Stephen Richards, said logistics planning for the event commenced in January and the response to the annual tournament has been so over whelming, organisers are claiming the international tournament may be the largest of its kind outside Australia.

“We are saying this will be Asia’s largest Australian football tournament ever because we know it is, but a lot of the teams involved think this might be the biggest international carnival outside Australia, which would make this event the biggest of its kind in the world,” Richards said.

“They have some pretty competitive leagues around the world particularly in Europe and North America, but we will have ten teams from different countries all together playing on the one day and through the Australian footy international grapevine we have not been able to come up with an event that will outmatch this in terms of the number of teams playing.”

The tournament kicks off at 08:30 (local time) with the Grand Final commencing at 16:10. Refreshments will be available and there will be a post match function featuring music and award presentations.

More information about the tournament and the clubs competing can be found on the Thailand Tigers website at: http://www.thailand-tigers.com/

Asian Football Forum Launched

2007-06-15T18:16:00.000+10:00

football forum

Asian Football Central is pleased to announce the launch of it's new football forum.

The forum will be dedicated entirely to Asian Football with threads on all major Asian football tournaments as well as Asian qualifying matches for oither tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. A seperate thread has been created to discuss each of the four preliminary groups of the AFC Asian Cup.

The Asian Football Central football forum can be found at http://forum.asianfc.com/ or by clicking on the link at http://asianfc.com/.

Football Media Sharing Site Launched

2007-06-12T20:58:00.000+10:00

football

A new Football site has been created at PikSpot.com for all Football enthusiasts.

The site allows members to post and share their own football media including video, podcasts, photos and news items.

Whilst the site has been created by Asian Football Central, it will be a community project with anyone able to post; AsianFC.com will not make any income from it. The new community can be found at http://football.pikspot.com/mainpage.php.

As it is still being developed, the site is very light on contect at this stage. Feel free to take a look and add your own material!

Asian Football Central

Australian Team Named for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup

2007-06-08T20:50:00.000+10:00

socceroos

FFA Media Release
Friday 8 June 2007

Football Federation Australia today named the 23-man squad that will represent Australia at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

"Australia was united as never before in their support of the Qantas Socceroos at the World Cup last year and the AFC Asian Cup will provide another opportunity for the country to get behind their national football team at a major event on the world stage," said FFA CEO Mr. Ben Buckley.

"It's an honour for us to be playing in such an historic event and we will continue to give the team all the support they need to achieve success."

National Coach Graham Arnold said selecting the final 23 players had been a difficult task.

"I am very pleased with the squad and they will represent Australia with a lot of pride," said Mr. Arnold. "Selecting squads for tournaments are never easy. There will always be disappointed players but if there weren’t then we would have a problem."

"I have worked closely with the players and their clubs to manage the difficult balance between full time jobs in the clubs, for whom July is an exceptionally important time, and the players absolute desire and commitment to play for Australia in a tournament where although their is no financial reward as there was at the World Cup, their is the real possibility of some silverware."

"Since I was given the opportunity to coach the Qantas Socceroos I have worked hard to build depth with a view to the Asian Cup and also the 2010 World Cup qualifiers."

"This squad is reflective of the need to continue to build depth but we also want to win the tournament. We want to be the pride of Asia."

Australia's first game will be in Thailand on July 8th against Oman.

The players named are: John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain), Michael Beauchamp (Nuremberg, Germany), Mark Bresciano (Palermo, Italy), Tim Cahill (Everton, England), Nick Carle (Newcastle Jets, Australia), David Carney (Sydney FC, Australia), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Holland), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Vincenzo Grella (Parma, Italy), Brett Holman (NEC Nijmegen, Holland), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough, England), Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC, Australia), Lucas Neill (West Ham, England), Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, Turkey), Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England), Mile Sterjovski (Basel, Switzerland), Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory, Australia), Michael Thwaite (Wisla Krakow, Poland), Carl Valeri (US Grosseto, Italy), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, England), Luke Wilkshire (Twente, Holland)

AFC Asian Cup 2007™ Fan Zone Launched

2007-06-08T20:42:00.000+10:00

Asian Football Confederation Press Release

KUALA LUMPUR: A fully-paid round-trip and tickets for the AFC Asian Cup 2007™ final in Jakarta, Nike merchandise as well as exclusive Z240 Samsung mobile phones are up for grabs in two exciting AFC Asian Cup 2007™ online contests launched today on the AFC Asian Cup 2007TM Fan Zone.

In the ‘Ultimate Fan Quiz’ contest, all fans have to do is test their knowledge of Asian football and answer a set of 10 questions based on Asia’s premier footballing event.

In the ‘Samsung Fans’ Man of the Match’, football lovers get a chance to vote for their favourite player or the player they think has excelled in a particular match. There will be winners every match day. Voting gets underway just before each match and fans can vote as many times as they want up to 12 hours after the end of the game.

Simply login and register to www.afcasiancup.com or www.the-afc.com. and get started with these exciting contests!

Phase 2 AFC Asian Cup Ticket Sales

2007-06-08T09:21:00.000+10:00

asian cup
KUALA LUMPUR: The second phase of AFC Asian Cup 2007™ ticket sales gets underway today in all the four venues, exactly one month prior to the July 7, 2007, kickoff in Bangkok.

Tickets will be available on a first-come-first-served basis from today at select kiosks in key locations in the four host countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The online sale of tickets started on April 24, 2007, and to date has received an excellent response. Fans can continue ordering tickets online via www.the-afc.com and www.afcasiancup.com.

"The second phase of ticket sales signals a decisive phase in the build-up to Asia's premier national team competition," said Clare Kenny Tipton, Assistant General Secretary and Director of Marketing and Communications.

"The online sale of tickets last month was a milestone development in promoting the game to fans in Asia and worldwide and we expect a robust sale of tickets through the kiosks."

The four local ticketing agents are:

Indonesia - Axcess Ticketing Sdn. Bhd.
Malaysia - Tickets2u
Thailand - Thai Ticket Master
Vietnam - Ale (Vietnam Football Development)

Fans are advised to note that no other ticketing agencies, other than the four appointed, are authorised to sell AFC Asian Cup 2007™ tickets and AFC is not bound to honour in any manner tickets purchased by anyone through unofficial and unauthorized vendors.

Asian Football Confederation Press Release

Asian Football Central

Asian Football Central Accreditation Approved

2007-06-06T01:46:00.000+10:00

asian cup
Asian Football Central is proud to announce that it has been granted media accreditation for the upcoming 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

All of the AFC Asian Cup results will be available on Asian Football Central along with special coverage of the following games:

1. THAILAND vs. IRAQ on 07-07-2007
2. AUSTRALIA vs. OMAN on 08-07-2007
3. OMAN vs. THAILAND on 12-07-2007
4. IRAQ vs. AUSTRALIA on 13-07-2007
5. THAILAND vs. AUSTRALIA on 16-07-2007

Blatter named FIFA President until 2011

2007-06-06T01:39:00.000+10:00

Those of the 207 FIFA member associations present who were eligible to vote have returned FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter for a third term of office until 2011 with a standing ovation. A boy then handed him a globe as a symbol of FIFA's new slogan "For the Game. For the World."
Blatter thanked the delegates for placing their trust in him and appealed for unity. "I am delighted to accept the 57th FIFA Congress's mandate to serve as president during the 2007-2011 period. I am very happy, and together we will oversee four years of continued strength for football," he said.

Upon reaching item 15 on the congress agenda, namely the election of the FIFA President, Blatter handed the floor to Senior Vice-President Julio Grondona (Argentina) and left the auditorium. Mr Grondona then requested the delegates on behalf of the Executive Committee to re-elect the president by acclamation. Applauded by the delegates and guests, the FIFA President was then invited back to the stage and was returned to office for another four years with a standing ovation.

Joseph S. Blatter is only the eighth president in the 103-year history of world football's governing body. He was first appointed to the helm of FIFA in Paris on 8 June 1998. Four years later in Seoul on 29 May 2002, the associations confirmed his position. The extraordinary Congress in Doha in 2003 voted to prolong that mandate from four to five years so that the presidential election would take place in the year after the termination of the four-year financial period and thus not affect the FIFA World Cup™.

Press release from FIFA.com

Asian Football Central

fifa

Uruguay 2 Australia 1

2007-06-03T09:27:00.000+10:00

soccer

Sydney 02/06/07. The Qantas Socceroos have suffered a 2-1 loss to Uruguay in an international friendly at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium.

This was the first time the two countries have met since their World Cup qualifyiers in November 2005 when Australia won in a penalty shootout and qualified for Germany 2006.

A crowd of just over 60,000 witnessed Australia take an early lead with a goal in the 6th minute from Mile Sterjovski however a goal to Diego Forlan in the 40th minute meant scores were tied at 1-1 going in to the half time break.

A crucial error by the Australian goal keeper Brad Jones in the 77th minute saw Uruguay take the lead. What appeared to be a simple cross was dropped by the keeper and an easy goal to Alvaro Recoba resulted giving Uruguay victory. This was Australia's first loss on home soil since playing Turkey in Melbourne in May 2004.

Australia's next (and final) match prior to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup will be against Singapore (in Singapore) on June 30.

Asian Football Central

June 'Supporter Site of the Month'

2007-05-31T12:10:00.000+10:00

Soccer Arabia has been named the Asian Football Central Supporter Site of the Month for June 2007.

Soccer Arabia covers news (including SMS alerts) from all over the Arab football world along with videos, photos and football themed games.

The site won a Golden Award at the 2006 Pan Arab Web awards.

Asian Football Web Tools

2007-05-25T18:55:00.000+10:00

toolbar
Asian Football Central is proud to announce that it has launched two new web tools which can be downloaded free of charge.

Both can be found at AsianFC.com

toolbar powered by Conduit

Manchester United: On or Off?

2007-05-24T13:54:00.000+10:00

manchester united

The hottest topic this week in Asian Football seems to be the upcoming Asian tour of Manchester United and it's potential conflict withe the AFC Asian Cup.

At a meeting between the AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam and the Manchester United Chief Executive David Gill (along with the FA Premier League Chairman Sir David Richards) held in Kuala Lumpur this week, AFC concerns were raised and a postponement of the tour suggested.

Following the meeting, Mohammed bin Hammam stated "I really appreciate the gesture that David Gill and Sir Dave Richards have displayed by coming here to AFC House to meet face to face to discuss this issue." Bin Hammam has presented the AFC case seeking to protect the interests of the AFC Asian Cup and reach a mutually agreeable compromise.

Currently, Manchester United's vist to Malaysia coincides with the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. Not only would this potentially draw attention (and ticket sales) from the Asian Football Confederation's premier event, it could place the Malaysian Football Association in breach of their hosting contract.

Following the meeting the AFC president stated that "We have made the request, and we shall await the response."

Asian Football Central

Victory V Galaxy?

2007-05-17T13:58:00.000+10:00

News is starting to circulate that LA Galaxy may be visiting Australia later in the year.

No official word has been given by Football Federation Australia however it is believed that the team may be playing the reigning Hyundai A-League champions... Melbourne Victory.

This would be a major coup for Australian football and is certain to draw huge crowds, particularly if David Beckham tours with his new club.

Iran Keeps Asia's Top Spot

2007-05-17T13:49:00.000+10:00

fifa

FIFA has released it's May rankings and once again, Iran is the highest placed Asian nation.

With very little movement amongst the Asian countries, there is very little change in their overall order. Iran and Australia have both improved by one position to be ranked 41st and 42nd respectively and Japan has moved ahead two positions to the 44th spot. Korea Republic and Uzbekistan make up the Asian top 5.

Italy has retained the number one position on the ranking list with Brazil second and Argentina falling to third.

AFC Asian Cup Ball Design Released

2007-05-15T23:28:00.000+10:00

asian cup

The Asian Football Confederation has finally revealed the design of the footballs to be used in this years AFC Asian Cup.

The Nike manufactured balls feature the AFC Asian Cup logo as well as the names of the four host nations (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam).

The AFC Asian Cup commences on July 7 2007 with Thailand and Iraq playing off in the opening match of group A. Results of all matches can be found on Asian Football Central

Manchester United to Play for the inaugural Venetian Macau Cup

2007-05-09T16:45:00.000+10:00

manchester united

Las Vegas, Nevada (April 26, 2007) – Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS), parent company of The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, announced today that The Venetian Macao will serve as the title sponsor of The Venetian Macau Cup – a football (soccer) match pitting English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United against the Chinese Super League’s Shenzhen Football Club.

The battle for The Venetian Macau Cup will take place on July 23 at Macau Stadium. It will mark Manchester United’s first ever appearance in Macau and their only appearance in China as part of the team’s Asia Tour 2007.

“We are very proud to be the title sponsor of this great event and play a role in bringing Manchester United to Macau for the first time. Presenting a world-class game like this gives us a wonderful opportunity to showcase another spectacular one-of-a-kind sporting event, especially one that caters to the region’s passion for football,” said William P. Weidner, president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. “Coupled with our partnership of the NBA China Games 2007, The Venetian Macau is certainly on its way to offering the region unique options that will undoubtedly bring prominence to Macau and more importantly, cement the location as a preeminent destination for sports and entertainment events.”

KallangRoar May 'Supporter Site of the Month'

2007-04-30T23:13:00.000+10:00

KallangRoar (http://kallangroar.com) is the Asian Football Central May 'Supporter Site of the Month'.

KallangRoar is a fantastic looking site and is primarily a forum for Singapore Football Supporters. It is growing rapidly and now includes Arcade Games with a gallery and blog section under development.

If you know of a great Asian Football supporter site, nominate it at http://asianfc.com

AFC Asian Cup Tickets Now On Sale

2007-04-25T10:42:00.000+10:00

afc

It's been a long time coming but tickets for the tournament starting in July are now available.

Tickets can be ordered ONLINE for all 32 matches via AFC’s official website www.the-afc.com and the official website of the competition, www.afcasiancup.com.

The physical ticket sales in the host markets shall be launched on June 7, 2007, one month prior to the kick-off of the first match on July 7, 2007 in Thailand. At that stage, tickets shall be available on a first-come-first-served basis at select ticket kiosks within the four host countries. Further information shall be released nearer the time.

“We are delighted to launch our ticket sales to the general public more than ten weeks prior to the kick-off of the AFC Asian Cup™. As the event is being held in the four venues, extensive coordination and planning has been undertaken by AFC with the four LOCs", said Ms Clare Kenny Tipton, Assistant General Secretary and Director of Marketing and Communications.

Asian Football Central

Iran Still Number One in Asia

2007-04-18T21:04:00.000+10:00

Although it has fallen 8 positions in the latest FIFA rankings, IR Iran remains the highest ranked Asian football nation followed closely by Australia.

Each of the 5 top ranked Asian teams have dropped in the international rankings however they retain the same order from March.

The top 5 Asian teams and their FIFA rank are:
IR Iran (42)
Australia (43)
Japan (46)
Korea Republic (51)
Uzbekistan (60)

A number of Asian nations were among the biggest falls for the month with Nepal down 16 spots to 186th, Tajikistan - 18 to 145th and Bangladesh -21 positions to become the world's 176th ranked nation

Overall, Italy has regained the number one ranking from Argentina which held it for only one month. The rest of the top 5 remained the same:
1: Italy
2: Argentina
3: Brazil
4: France
5: Germany

The biggest movers for the month included Lichtenstein +31 (131st) and Kazakhstan +27 (116th)

FIFA 2014 World Cup Brazil?

2007-04-15T09:35:00.000+10:00

Having submitted their Bidding Agreement forms to FIFA this week, Brazil is almost guaranteed of the hosting rights for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Brazil are now the only candidate to have submitted the required documentation following Columbia's withdrawal from the race on April 11th.

Brazil now has until the end of July 2007 to complete its bid, which must contain all of the necessary government guarantees. The next steps in the bidding procedure will involve FIFA conducting an inspection visit of Brazil in September 2007, with the inspection group required to submit its report by 1 November 2007. The FIFA Executive Committee is set to name the host nation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in November 2007.

FIFA Women's World Cup Finalists

2007-04-15T09:21:00.000+10:00

New Zeland has qualified as the 16th finalist for the FIFA Women's World Cup to be held in China from 10-30 September this year.

The official draw will be held on April 22 for the tournament which will be hosted by the Chinese cities of Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin and Wuhan.

The 16 finalists are:
AFC- China, Australia, Korea DPR and Japan
UEFA- Norway, Swede, Denmark, Germany, England
CAF- Nigeria and Ghana
CONCACAF- USA and Canada
CONMEBOL- Argentina and Brazil
OFC- New Zealand

Countdown to Beijing

2007-04-09T19:38:00.000+10:00

Preparations are well under way as the countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games passes the 500 day mark.

As part of the '500 Days to go' celebrations, the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) has released details of the medals available for the succesful athletes.

In what can be described as a blend of Chinese culture and Olympic tradition, the medals will be composed of the usual metals (gold and silver) along with Jade imprinted with a traditional Chinese Dragon pattern.

For Jian Xiaoyu, (Executive Vice-President of BOCOG), “The Beijing 2008 Games medals will be a major part of the Olympic legacy for China. The medals embody strong Chinese style and elegant art, and are a harmonious combination of Chinese culture and Olympism, making them a vehicle to disseminate the Olympic spirit and the concepts of the Beijing Games, as well as to showcase Chinese culture and arts, and the high levels of design and technology.”

The Asian Football Confederation has commenced prleiminary Olympic qualification which will continue throughout the year (breaking in July for the AFC Asian Cup). The final round will be held September 9th.

The Games of the XXIX Olympiad – Beijing 2008 will take place from 8 August 2008 until 24 August 2008.

Asian Football Central http://asianfc.com/