FIFA/ASIA
AFC ASIAN CUP Qualifiers – Group F: Vietnam 3-1 Nepal
Binh Duong: Vietnam held off a battling Nepal to seal a 3-1 win in their AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Qualifiers Final Round Group F tie on Thursday.
Vietnam has two spots in the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26
Two Vietnamese football clubs will qualify directly for the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26.
AFC U17 Asian Cup: Resilient Uzbekistan persevere to lift title
Taif: Nine-man Uzbekistan overcame the odds to win the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2025 title after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the final on Sunday.
Group B: Vietnam 1-1 UAE
Taif: Hazaa Faisal Madhi’s late equaliser against Vietnam sealed the United Arab Emirates their berth in the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2025 quarter-finals on Thursday.
Group B: Vietnam 1-1 Japan
Taif: Vietnam showed grit to hold Japan to a 1-1 stalemate in their AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2025 Group B match on Monday. Tran Gia Bao scored a last-gasp penalty to secure a point for the Southeast Asian side, cancelling out Minato Yoshida’s first half opener for the East Asians.
AFC Champions League Two R16, 1st Leg: Nam Dinh FC (VIE) 0-3 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)
Nam Dinh: Sanfrecce Hiroshima produced a splendid second half display to cruise 3-0 past Nam Dinh FC of Vietnam in their AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 Round of 16 first leg tie on Wednesday.
Two-year countdown: Dates for AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ confirmed
Kuala Lumpur: The upcoming edition of Asia’s crown jewel – the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ – will take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027, across three cities – the Kingdom’s capital Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar, marking the two-year countdown to the 19th edition of the Continent’s most prestigious men’s football tournament.
Coach Kim Sang Sik: “The victory over Thailand is the New Year’s gift from the team to the fans.”
At the press conference after the first leg of the final against the Thailand national team at Việt Trì Stadium on the evening of January 2, Coach Kim Sang Sik expressed his immense happiness with the achievement against the team from the Land of Smiles. “The victory over Thailand is the New Year’s gift from the team to the fans,” he said.
Groups decided for Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round
Kuala Lumpur: It is all systems go for the third and final round of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Qualifiers following the official draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday.
Group G – MD5: Nam Dinh FC (VIE) 3-0 Lee Man (HKG)
Nam Dinh: Vietnam’s Nam Dinh booked their spot in the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 knockout stage after cruising 3-0 past Lee Man of Hong Kong in their Group G tie at the Thien Truong Stadium on Wednesday.
Qualifiers – Group I: Kyrgyz Republic 1-2 Myanmar; Yemen 1-1 Vietnam
Viet Tri: Yemen played to a 1-1 draw with Vietnam to finish top of Group I and confirm their spot in the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Saudi Arabia 2025 Finals on Sunday. The win put Yemen on seven points, while Vietnam progressed as one of the best five runners-up. Myanmar, meanwhile, ended their campaign with a win after upsetting Kyrgyz Republic 2-1.
