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Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

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Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football in Asia and Australia. It has 47 member countries, mostly located on the Asian and Australian continent. Australia, formerly in the OFC, joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, and the Oceanian island of Guam is also a member of AFC, in addition to Northern Mariana Islands. Hong Kong and Macau, although not independent countries are also members of the AFC. One of Fifa's six continental confederations, the AFC was formed officially on May 8, 1954 in Philippines. The main headquarters are located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The current president is Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has friends around the world, including those in the South American Football Confederation. Photo: AFP
Fifa

Will Asia turn its back on Fifa chief Infantino amid global divide in football?

Asian Football Confederation looks to be playing a waiting game, but a different picture is emerging behind closed doors of its stance.

Fifa

Infantino lives to fight another day, but full-blown football civil war is brewing

Fifa

Embattled Fifa chief Infantino holds emergency talks in Morocco with top officials

Indonesia

Offside move? Why Indonesia’s football chief backed Fifa privatisation plan

Erick Thohir said the Indonesian football association should back Fifa’s proposal because of its contributions to the local game.

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Erick Thohir attends the pre-Olympic play-off match between Indonesia and Guinea at Paris 2024. Photo: AFP
Fifa

Asia, Europe welcome end of World Cup investor plans in big Infantino defeat

AFC chief calls for more transparency as doubts are cast on Infantino’s 2027 ⁠re-election prospects; Uefa declares ‘no confidence’.

Fifa

Fifa not ‘selling football’ as Uefa vows World Cup boycott over Infantino plan

World governing body says ⁠it will not create subsidiary without ⁠majority support after widespread condemnation of president’s idea.

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Fifa

Asian body joins opposition to Fifa, Infantino’s World Cup private equity plan

Asian Football Confederation aligns with Uefa, Concacaf against plan to sell stakes in World Cup, says new management style needed.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino (centre) at the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Manama, Bahrain in 2023. Photo: AFP

Japan great Kazuyoshi Miura scores first competitive goal after 4 years at 59

Former international is preparing for a remarkable ‌42nd season ‌as a professional after extending his loan spell ‌with Fukushima United.

Fifa

Asia’s disappointing World Cup exposes gap between region’s best and the rest

Players’ lack of time playing for or against teams in top leagues cited as reason only two sides survive first round, compared with Africa’s nine.

Fifa World Cup 2026

Notorious Chinese ref shows ‘playful’ side as RedNote signs World Cup TV deal

Best known for his strict handling of unruly players, Ma Ning’s new social media account has drawn plenty of attention from football fans.

Ma Ning’s RedNote profile picture, which many users described as “playful” and “cute”. Photo: RedNote/MaNing
Chinese Football Association (CFA)

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

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

Zhao Songyuan scored China’s second goal from the penalty spot but it was not enough to beat Japan in the AFC U17 Asian Cup final. Photo: Xinhua
AFC Champions League

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

Naegohyang coach Ri Yu-il expects final against Japanese side Tokyo Verdy Beleza to be played according to the letter of the law.

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

Naegohyang Women’s FC head coach Ri Yu Il brushes off questions about South Korean fans cheering for his team.

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Kitchee SC

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

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

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

North Korean footballers arrive in South, match tickets sell out

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

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North Korean Naegohyang Women’s FC soccer team arrives at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Chinese Football Association (CFA)

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

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

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

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

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Fifa

Dutch league avoids chaos as court dismisses lawsuit over Indonesia passport

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

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

Pitch perfect diplomacy? North Korean footballers head to South Korea

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

AFC Champions League

Hong Kong title winners Kitchee seeking Asian Champions League answers

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

Saudi Pro League

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

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

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

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

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

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From left, Italy’s Gianluca Mancini, Pio Esposito, Marco Palestra, Leonardo Spinazzola and Federico Gatti after losing out to Bosnia Herzegovina in the final World Cup qualifier last month. Photo: Reuters
AFC Champions League

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

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

AFC Champions League

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

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

AFC Champions League

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

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

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

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

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

Greenlander Nils Nielsen led a rampant Japan to their third Asian title in four tournaments. Photo: AFP
Fifa

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

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

The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

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

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

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