Battling Malaysians make South Koreans scramble for last 16 slot
January 25 – Malaysia held South Korea to a dramatic 3-3 draw with Romel Morales’s last-ditch stoppage time equaliser condemning Jurgen Klinsmann’s team to second spot in Group E.
January 25 – Malaysia held South Korea to a dramatic 3-3 draw with Romel Morales’s last-ditch stoppage time equaliser condemning Jurgen Klinsmann’s team to second spot in Group E.
January 24 – Iraq completed a clean sweep of Group D at the Asian Cup as they converted a last-gasp stoppage time penalty to beat brave 10-man Vietnam in the most dramatic of circumstances.
January 25 – India’s manager Igor Stimac, has had a difficult and disappointing Asian Cup. India finished up with a poorer record than in 2019 with Stimac leading them to three consecutive defeats.
January 24 – Four-time champions Japan got their Asian Cup campaign back on track with a routine 3-1 victory against Indonesia to clinch second spot in Group D behind Iraq. In the round of 16 they could potentially face South Korea in what would be a blockbuster clash.
January 24 – Saudi Arabia coach Roberto Mancini said he will stick to his philosophy and team selection despite criticism of his team’s performances.
January 24 – Japanese manager Hajime Moriyasu has come out in defense of his goalkeeper Zion Suzuki who claimed he suffered racial abuse on social media following his team’s 2-1 shock defeat against Iraq.
By Samindra Kunti
January 23 – A historic night saw Palestine breeze past Hong Kong 3-0 to progress to the last 16 of the tournament, an extraordinary achievement for a team playing amid the backdrop of war in Gaza.
January 23 – Iran were deserved victors in their Group C clash with runners-up UAE as Medhi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun combined to give the Iranians an run in the group stages of the Asian Cup.
January 23 – Former Asian player of the year Omar Khribin came off the bench to deservedly fire Syria past a committed India and secure an historic first ever qualification for the last 16 of the Asian Cup as one of the best third-placed teams after other results went in their favour.
January 23 – The points were shared as Group B leaders Australia faced second-place Uzbekistan at the Al Janoub Stadium, as Azizbek Turgunbaev cancelled out Martin Boyle’s controversial penalty with a towering header to send both teams through to the Round of 16.
By Samindra Kunti in Doha
January 22 – Makram Daboub believes that his side can clinch their first-ever ticket to the round of sixteen against Hong Kong, sticking to the standard of play that brought Palestine a draw with the United Arab Emirates.
January 22 – Tournament debutants Tajikistan defeated ten-man Lebanon 2-1 to book their passage to the round of 16 following a dramatic second-half comeback that culminated with Nuriddin Khamrokulov’s 92nd-minute winner.
January 22- The second round of Asian Cup group games saw several pre-tournament favourites given a fright and appears to show that Arab teams are closing the gap on their more illustrious opponents.
January 22 – On the eve of Iran’s final group game with the United Arab Emirates, manager Amir Ghalenoei has lashed out at the criticism of his team’s performances and claimed that he has no issues with star striker Sardar Azmoun, who has not played a single minute in the tournament yet.
January 22 – Qatar cemented a flawless nine-point start to the Asian Cup following a tentative 1-0 victory over Group A hopefuls China, where two equal teams were separated by a moment of brilliance from Akram Afif and Hassan Al Haidos to claim all three points at the Khalifa Stadium.