https://www.scmp.com/rss/16064/feed Michael Church first started writing about football in Asia when he moved to Hong Kong in 1995 and he has covered every Asian Cup since 1996 and every World Cup since the finals were held in France in 1998. He spends much more time than is healthy sitting on planes and loitering in hotel lobbies and is also a committed fan of most things featuring loud, distorted guitars. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The revamped AFC Champions League Elite will play a crucial role in encouraging fresh investment in the continent’s clubs, said the Asian Football Confederation’s top official, as the body aims to revitalise the sport in the region. The top tier of the reconfigured competition kicks off on Monday with a field reduced to 24 teams from 40, and features the champions of Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and China as well as title holders Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates. Play starts with a new... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3278532/new-asian-champions-league-seeks-promote-quality-over-quantity-top-boss-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3278532/new-asian-champions-league-seeks-promote-quality-over-quantity-top-boss-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Sep 2024 08:41:22 +0000 China will go into the next phase of Asia’s qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with head coach Branko Ivankovic pledging they will not be pushovers, despite facing regional heavyweights Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia. The Chinese kept dreams of a place in Canada, Mexico and the United States alive by the narrowest of margins when the previous round concluded earlier this month, advancing ahead of Thailand with a better head-to-head record over the Southeast Asians. Ivankovic’s appointment led... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268553/underdogs-china-will-not-be-bullied-world-cup-qualifying-rivals-vows-coach-ivankovic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3268553/underdogs-china-will-not-be-bullied-world-cup-qualifying-rivals-vows-coach-ivankovic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jun 2024 04:00:28 +0000 Qatar retained their Asian Cup title at Lusail Stadium on Saturday, beating Jordan 3-1 in a game where Akram Afif scored a hat-trick from the penalty spot. Chinese referee Ma Ning, who became the first official from the Mainland to take charge of the continental showpiece, awarded the penalties from which Afif scored in the 22nd, 73rd and 95th minutes Afif finished on top of the scoring charts with eight goals and as the Asian Cup’s MVP. His side became the first team to successfully defend the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251655/afc-asian-cup-qatar-retain-trophy-jordan-pay-penalty-indiscipline-lacklustre-end-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251655/afc-asian-cup-qatar-retain-trophy-jordan-pay-penalty-indiscipline-lacklustre-end-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Feb 2024 04:23:18 +0000 Captain Hassan Al Haydos credited the spirit within the Qatar camp for the defending champions’ return to the Asian Cup final on Saturday, as the tournament hosts look to become the first nation to retain the title in 20 years. Al Haydos will lead his side out against surprise package Jordan at the magnificent Lusail Stadium, scene of Argentina’s World Cup win over France in December 2022, aiming to win the title five years after the nation’s first Asian Cup success in the United Arab... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251569/afc-asian-cup-qatar-captain-hails-team-spirit-country-stands-brink-history-ref-ma-ning-set-make-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251569/afc-asian-cup-qatar-captain-hails-team-spirit-country-stands-brink-history-ref-ma-ning-set-make-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:00:17 +0000 Amir Ghalenoei said Iran’s 3-2 defeat in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup to hosts Qatar was “one of the worst days in my life”, as he apologised for his team’s failure to make the final. Almoez Ali scored the decisive third for Marquez Lopez’s team eight minutes from time, in a game that had more drama than quality. There was a late red card for Iran’s Shojae Khalilzadeh and Alireza Jahanbakhsh hit the post in the dying seconds. The Iranians were looking to reach the final for the first time... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251325/afc-asian-cup-irans-semi-final-loss-all-my-fault-and-worst-day-my-life-says-coach-ghalenoei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251325/afc-asian-cup-irans-semi-final-loss-all-my-fault-and-worst-day-my-life-says-coach-ghalenoei?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 01:57:57 +0000 Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei told his players to forget their historic quarter-final win over Japan and focus on booking a place in the Asian Cup final for the first time since 1976 by securing victory over hosts and defending champions Qatar on Wednesday. The 2-1 win was Iran’s first over the Japanese in five attempts at the Asian Cup and avenged a semi-final loss five years ago that prolonged Iran’s continental frustration. Once the dominant force in Asian football, with three consecutive title... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251197/afc-asian-cup-iran-seek-first-final-48-years-coach-questions-choice-kuwaiti-referee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251197/afc-asian-cup-iran-seek-first-final-48-years-coach-questions-choice-kuwaiti-referee?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2024 01:48:48 +0000 Jurgen Klinsmann said he would not resign as South Korea boss despite accepting responsibility for his side’s failure to break a 64-year Asian Cup drought. South Korea were dumped out of the competition in Qatar on Tuesday by Jordan, who won the semi-final 2-0 and await the winner’s of Wednesday match between Iran and the defending champion hosts. Second half goals from Yazan Al Naimat and Mousa Al Tamari where enough to sink Son Heung-min and company at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, meaning South... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251196/afc-asian-cup-angry-south-korea-boss-klinsmann-says-he-wont-resign-despite-teams-semi-final-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251196/afc-asian-cup-angry-south-korea-boss-klinsmann-says-he-wont-resign-despite-teams-semi-final-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2024 01:33:27 +0000 Jurgen Klinsmann continues to smile serenely as the pressure grows on his South Korea side the closer they edge towards the country’s first Asian Cup title since 1960, the German exuding an air of composure and calm ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final against Jordan in Doha. The 59-year-old has been a lightning rod for criticism due to a perceived lack of coaching quality since his appointment last year, but the 1990 World Cup winner understands the burden of expectation on his players as they look to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251122/afc-asian-cup-south-korea-roll-jurgen-klinsmann-says-semi-final-offers-path-first-title-64-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3251122/afc-asian-cup-south-korea-roll-jurgen-klinsmann-says-semi-final-offers-path-first-title-64-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:23:07 +0000 Qatar returns to the spotlight on Friday little more than a year after the first World Cup held in the Arab world when the relocated and delayed 2023 Asian Cup gets under way amid a seismic shift in football’s global order. Fuelled by massive sums of Saudi cash, following huge investment from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, West Asia is now undoubtedly the dominant financial power in the game but it remains to be seen whether that transfers to pre-eminence on the pitch. Qatar go into the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3247819/holders-qatar-host-delayed-afc-asian-cup-gulf-influence-within-game-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3247819/holders-qatar-host-delayed-afc-asian-cup-gulf-influence-within-game-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:12 +0000 Lee Man were given a stark introduction to the standards at the summit of Asian football as last year’s Hong Kong Premier League runners-up were handed a convincing 3-0 defeat by Urawa Red Diamonds, any hope of a place in the Asian Champions League being rapidly extinguished. Two goals in the first six minutes at Saitama Stadium sent Urawa – the defending champions after winning the title in May – on their way to a place in Thursday’s draw for the 40-team group phase while Lee Man were left to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3231950/asian-champions-league-defending-champions-urawa-red-diamonds-hand-lee-man-hard-lesson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3231950/asian-champions-league-defending-champions-urawa-red-diamonds-hand-lee-man-hard-lesson?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:14:19 +0000 Lee Man go into Tuesday’s AFC Champions League (ACL) play-off against title-holders Urawa Red Diamonds as significant underdogs, but assistant coach Jordi Tarres believes victory would yield major benefits for the Hong Kong side. A 5-1 thrashing of Bali United has left last year’s Premier League runners-up one game from the group phase of the continental championship. And while the winners will join Hong Kong champions Kitchee among the 40 clubs involved in Thursday’s draw in Kuala Lumpur, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3231797/hong-kong-underdogs-lee-man-know-champions-league-play-urawa-red-diamonds-wont-be-easy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3231797/hong-kong-underdogs-lee-man-know-champions-league-play-urawa-red-diamonds-wont-be-easy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 23:45:10 +0000 While Urawa Red Diamonds are a club with the finest AFC Champions League pedigree, Lee Man could be meeting the defending champions at the right time, as inconsistency threatens to derail the Japanese club’s challenge for domestic silverware. The Hong Kong Premier League side travel to Saitama after handing Bali United a 5-1 thrashing last week and take on the three-time title winners in Tuesday’s play-off knowing they will be underdogs against one of Asia’s most successful clubs. Still, a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3231772/afc-champions-league-lee-man-look-pounce-inconsistency-and-soaring-temperatures-stifle-urawa-red?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3231772/afc-champions-league-lee-man-look-pounce-inconsistency-and-soaring-temperatures-stifle-urawa-red?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 06:01:50 +0000 AFC Champions League all-time leading scorer Dejan Damjanovic pushed his fractious departure from Kitchee to one side to celebrate his stint with the Hong Kong Premier League champions, after bringing down the curtain on his stellar 25-year career. The 42-year-old announced his retirement on social media this week having scored 42 times in the continental championship – five more than any other player – for four different clubs, with his two-and-a-half year spell in Hong Kong proving to be his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3231677/football-dejan-damjanovic-prefers-remember-good-times-despite-kitchee-row-rumbling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3231677/football-dejan-damjanovic-prefers-remember-good-times-despite-kitchee-row-rumbling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Aug 2023 03:22:04 +0000 China’s Olympic medal-winning goalkeeper Gao Hong has called on more of the country’s footballers to play professionally overseas in a bid to improve the national team after the Shui Qingxia-coached Steel Roses crashed out of the Fifa Women’s World Cup. Gao, who played alongside Shui to win the silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, is one of the most revered figures in the women’s game in China, also featuring in the side that lost to the United States in a penalty shoot-out in the 1999... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3230005/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-legend-gao-hong-urges-more-players-test-themselves-abroad-after-countrys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3230005/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-legend-gao-hong-urges-more-players-test-themselves-abroad-after-countrys?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Aug 2023 00:45:08 +0000 It took Shui Qingxia almost 90 minutes to emerge for her post-match media duties, with China’s coach keeping her players in the dressing room long after the final whistle brought a merciful end to a mauling that highlighted how far the nation has fallen from their lofty peak. England won 6-1 in Adelaide to send China out of the Women’s World Cup, but with referee Casey Rebeilt ruling out a first-half strike that should have resulted in Lauren James scoring a hat-trick, and Lucy Bronze also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229667/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-look-next-generation-rebuilding-process-begins-after-humiliating-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229667/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-look-next-generation-rebuilding-process-begins-after-humiliating-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Aug 2023 02:00:18 +0000 China’s quest for a place in the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup ended in ignominy in Adelaide on Tuesday as they suffered a 6-1 thrashing against a dominant England, with the Asian champions failing for the first time to qualify for the knockout rounds. First-half goals from Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp and Lauren James made a mockery of China’s prematch hopes for a win that would potentially take them into the last 16 as Shui Qingxia’s side were overwhelmed by English physicality and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229645/fifa-womens-world-cup-sorry-china-suffer-early-exit-after-6-1-mauling-englands-lionesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229645/fifa-womens-world-cup-sorry-china-suffer-early-exit-after-6-1-mauling-englands-lionesses?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:24:50 +0000 Head coach Shui Qingxia admitted the absence of suspended playmaker Zhang Rui is “a huge loss” ahead of China’s pivotal Fifa Women’s World Cup clash against European champions England on Tuesday, but was coy on US-based striker Wang Shuang’s chances of starting in Adelaide. Vice-captain Zhang was sent off in the 1-0 victory over Haiti on Friday before Racing Louisville striker Wang came off the bench to score the penalty that earned the Steel Roses the three points which kept their campaign... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229524/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-could-unleash-wang-shuang-must-win-clash-england?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229524/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-could-unleash-wang-shuang-must-win-clash-england?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:00:16 +0000 China must beat England on Tuesday if they are to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup, and Wang Shuang said she had complete confidence in coach Shui Qingxia’s tactics despite questions over the team’s defensive approach. Defeat in the opening game to Denmark, and a fortunate 1-0 win over Haiti on Friday when down to 10 players, leaves China in a position of having to win if they are not to be the first Steel Roses side to fail to get out of the group... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229391/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-striker-wang-shuang-backs-coach-despite-steel-roses-facing-group-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229391/fifa-womens-world-cup-china-striker-wang-shuang-backs-coach-despite-steel-roses-facing-group-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jul 2023 05:11:58 +0000 Substitute Wang Shuang’s penalty 16 minutes from time kept China’s Women’s World Cup challenge alive in Adelaide on Friday, as the Steel Roses overcame Zhang Rui’s 28th minute sending off to register a dramatic 1-0 win over tournament debutants Haiti. The slender victory was greeted with a roar from the majority inside Hindmarsh Stadium and Shui Qingxia’s side will take on England on Tuesday knowing their hopes of a place in the Round of 16 remain intact. China have never missed out on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229318/fifa-womens-world-cup-late-wang-penalty-keeps-chinas-hopes-alive-dramatic-win-over-haiti?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229318/fifa-womens-world-cup-late-wang-penalty-keeps-chinas-hopes-alive-dramatic-win-over-haiti?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:29:57 +0000 China coach Shui Qingxia leads her team into their must-win Fifa Women’s World Cup clash with Haiti on Friday hoping a hiatus from the tournament’s pressures will help them keep alive their chances of progressing. The Steel Roses have never failed to advance beyond the tournament’s group phase in seven previous appearances at the finals, but an opening 1-0 loss to Denmark last Saturday leaves them under serious threat of elimination. Defeat in Adelaide against Haiti, who arrived unfancied but... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229180/fifa-womens-world-cup-can-china-shift-gloom-must-win-clash-haiti-time-key-coach-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3229180/fifa-womens-world-cup-can-china-shift-gloom-must-win-clash-haiti-time-key-coach-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:00:12 +0000 China face an uphill battle to book a spot in the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup after Shui Qingxia’s continental champions suffered a late 1-0 defeat in their tournament opener against Denmark in Perth on Saturday evening. Amalie Vangsgaard’s 90th minute header condemned China to the loss in a game slated before kick-off as a must-win encounter with the pair drawn in the same group as heavily favoured European champions England. The Women’s Asian Cup holders had been unable to find a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228602/fifa-womens-world-cup-vangsgaards-late-strike-breaks-china-hearts-denmark-grab-vital-win-perth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228602/fifa-womens-world-cup-vangsgaards-late-strike-breaks-china-hearts-denmark-grab-vital-win-perth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jul 2023 14:22:28 +0000 Shui Qingxia has set her sights on taking China back to the top of global football as her team prepares to launch their Women’s World Cup challenge against Denmark in Perth on Saturday, more than 24 years after the country’s only appearance in the tournament’s final. The Chinese lost in a penalty shoot-out at Pasenda Rose Bowl to hosts the United States in 1999 in an era when the nation dominated the game within Asia and battled the Americans for global supremacy. Those days have long since gone... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228534/fifa-womens-world-cup-chinas-shui-qingxia-plotting-route-back-top-global-game-steel-roses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228534/fifa-womens-world-cup-chinas-shui-qingxia-plotting-route-back-top-global-game-steel-roses?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jul 2023 11:53:10 +0000 Uncertainty hangs over Sam Kerr’s involvement in the Women’s World Cup after Australia coach Tony Gustavvson refused to reveal the extent of the calf injury that kept his star striker out of the opening win over Ireland on Thursday. Chelsea forward Kerr has been the public face of the event in Australia throughout the tournament’s lengthy build-up, but the injury sustained in training the day before the tournament kicked off has left the 29-year-old’s involvement in serious doubt. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228418/fifa-womens-world-cup-uncertainty-hangs-over-kerrs-future-australia-ponder-life-without-star-striker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228418/fifa-womens-world-cup-uncertainty-hangs-over-kerrs-future-australia-ponder-life-without-star-striker?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jul 2023 02:32:57 +0000 Australia overcame the late loss to injury of poster girl Sam Kerr to make a victorious if unconvincing start to their Fifa Women’s World Cup campaign on Thursday, as Steph Catley’s second-half penalty earned the Matildas a 1-0 win over unfancied Ireland at Sydney’s Stadium Australia. Catley fired high into the net in the 52nd minute after Hayley Raso had been upended as she darted into the penalty area to meet Kyra Cooney-Cross’ lofted centre to end stubborn Irish resistance. It was a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228386/fifa-womens-world-cup-kerr-less-australia-limp-past-ireland-unconvincing-start-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228386/fifa-womens-world-cup-kerr-less-australia-limp-past-ireland-unconvincing-start-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:42:06 +0000 Sam Kerr has long been the poster girl for Australia’s co-hosting of the Women’s World Cup and as her country’s first game approaches, the Chelsea striker is relishing mounting a title challenge four years in the making. The Australians kick off their campaign against Ireland at a sold-out Stadium Australia on Thursday, with expectations among the 80,000 crowd and the wider the nation growing that Tony Gustavsson’s side, ranked 10th in the world, can upset the established order. That might be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228251/fifa-womens-world-cup-australia-striker-sam-kerr-ready-mount-title-challenge-four-years-making?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228251/fifa-womens-world-cup-australia-striker-sam-kerr-ready-mount-title-challenge-four-years-making?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jul 2023 10:57:30 +0000 From the opposite side of the harbour, the famed Sydney Opera House glows against the night sky, its white arched sails serving as a familiar backdrop for the temporary studio constructed by Fox Sports for the Women’s World Cup. The broadcasters have left little doubt about their highly visible commitment to the tournament, with the latest edition scheduled to kick off in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday. The booth towers above bystanders and tourists as the clock ticks down towards the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228135/fifa-womens-world-cup-barely-registers-australian-public-amid-packed-sporting-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3228135/fifa-womens-world-cup-barely-registers-australian-public-amid-packed-sporting-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jul 2023 23:30:21 +0000 The colours are unmistakable as the Philippine flag flutters in the breeze on the approach to Wanderers Football Park, in Sydney’s western suburbs – the temporary home to the country’s history-making women footballers. For the better part of a month, the sprawling facility’s manicured fields have hosted the Women’s World Cup-bound Filipinas, a mould-breaking squad who are entering the unknown. No team from the Philippines – men’s or women’s – had previously reached the finals of a global... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3227763/fifa-womens-world-cup-philippines-team-proud-be-role-models-back-home-were-future-generations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3227763/fifa-womens-world-cup-philippines-team-proud-be-role-models-back-home-were-future-generations?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:45:18 +0000 Hong Kong coach Jorn Andersen said his team was improving despite a continued failure to score, and guaranteed the drought would end after an encouraging performance in a narrow loss to Vietnam. The visitors hit the woodwork twice, and striker Matt Orr was denied by goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, as Vietnam ran out 1-0 winners in Haiphong on Thursday night thanks to skipper Que Noc Hai’s controversial 32nd minute penalty. And despite being frustrated by his side’s inability to hit the target, Andersen... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3224311/hong-kong-boss-andersen-backs-strikers-break-goal-drought-and-insists-side-improving-despite-another?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3224311/hong-kong-boss-andersen-backs-strikers-break-goal-drought-and-insists-side-improving-despite-another?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:29:57 +0000 Hong Kong’s scoring frustrations continued against Vietnam on Thursday, as Jorn Andersen’s side slipped to a narrow 1-0 international friendly loss in Haiphong to further extend their struggles in front of goal. Que Ngoc Hai’s 32nd minute penalty earned the hosts victory in front of 19,689 fans at Lach Tray Stadium, and the result means Hong Kong have scored in only two of their nine games since securing their place at the Asian Cup finals last June with a 3-0 win over Cambodia in India. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3224245/misfiring-hong-kongs-goal-woes-continue-vietnam-start-troussier-reign-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3224245/misfiring-hong-kongs-goal-woes-continue-vietnam-start-troussier-reign-win?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2023 15:14:10 +0000 Hong Kong coach Jorn Andersen will look to shut out the home fans’ excitement over Philippe Troussier’s debut at the helm of Vietnam as his team continue to sharpen their focus on next year’s Asian Cup. Thursday’s meeting at Lach Tray Stadium in Haiphong will be the Frenchman’s first in charge of the hosts since replacing the hugely successful and adored Park Hang-seo and the 68-year-old’s arrival presents an additional challenge for Andersen. But while the fervour locally is building over the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3224104/vietnam-v-hong-kong-visitors-downplay-philippe-troussier-factor-they-build-towards-asian-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3224104/vietnam-v-hong-kong-visitors-downplay-philippe-troussier-factor-they-build-towards-asian-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2023 00:15:24 +0000 Matt Orr is confident he can carry the red-hot form that has fired him to the top of China League One scoring charts for Guangxi Pingguo Haliao into Hong Kong’s friendly match against Vietnam in Haiphong on Thursday, as Jorn Andersen’s side look to end a barren run in front of goal. Orr has scored seven times in his past six games to fire Guangxi to the top of China’s second division, and his eye for goal will be much needed for a team that has managed just one in their last four games. And even... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3223976/hong-kong-striker-orr-hoping-solve-sides-goal-crisis-team-out-end-9-game-drought-against-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3223976/hong-kong-striker-orr-hoping-solve-sides-goal-crisis-team-out-end-9-game-drought-against-vietnam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 23:30:24 +0000 Dejan Damjanovic will take a long-simmering dispute with Hong Kong treble winners Kitchee to Fifa, football’s global governing body, on Monday after accusing them of withholding bonuses and unfair treatment at the end of his 2½ years with the club. The Montenegrin striker left Kitchee last month at the end of his contract, concluding a spell that saw him score 61 times in 61 games in all competitions. He helped Kitchee win two Hong Kong Premier League titles as well as the Hong Kong FA Cup and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3223705/dejan-damjanovic-calls-fifa-war-hong-kongs-kitchee-over-unpaid-bonuses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3223705/dejan-damjanovic-calls-fifa-war-hong-kongs-kitchee-over-unpaid-bonuses?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jun 2023 08:32:14 +0000 China coach Aleksandar Jankovic is confident he can overcome the well-documented difficulties that have blighted football in the country over the last three years to build towards January’s Asian Cup finals in Qatar. The 51-year-old Serb was appointed in February having worked for two years as the country’s under-23 coach and has since led the national team into a pair of friendlies against New Zealand in March. Those matches – a 0-0 draw in Auckland followed by a 2-1 loss in Wellington three... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3221025/china-football-boss-focused-solution-issues-engulf-game-every-big-problem-hides-small-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3221025/china-football-boss-focused-solution-issues-engulf-game-every-big-problem-hides-small-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 May 2023 00:15:16 +0000 Hong Kong football boss Eric Fok Kai-shan believes the game’s future in the city lies in greater ties with mainland China, and has hinted its clubs could soon be involved in the domestic structure across the border. Fok, the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association, said being part of the Chinese system was important for the further growth of the game and would help raise standards. The 39-year-old was speaking after being re-elected to the game’s key decision-making body during the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3208836/hong-kong-football-boss-eyes-greater-china-ties-hints-clubs-joining-domestic-leagues-across-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3208836/hong-kong-football-boss-eyes-greater-china-ties-hints-clubs-joining-domestic-leagues-across-border?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Feb 2023 08:30:12 +0000 China’s status within world football suffered another blow on Wednesday as Chinese Football Association vice-president Du Zhaocai failed in his attempt to retain the country’s seat on the Fifa Council during a vote at the Asian Football Confederation’s congress in Bahrain. Du, who was standing for re-election after winning the post four years ago, received 18 from a possible 45 votes to finish last out of seven candidates, missing out on one of the five Asian seats on the governing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3208759/chinas-status-world-football-suffers-another-blow-du-loses-fifa-council-seat-afc-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3208759/chinas-status-world-football-suffers-another-blow-du-loses-fifa-council-seat-afc-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Feb 2023 12:00:25 +0000 Cristiano Ronaldo’s headline-grabbing arrival at Al Nassr on a bumper pay deal captured global attention last month, but in an alternate world the five-time Ballon d’Or winner may well have been destined for a move further east. The Portuguese striker’s Saudi Arabia switch following the cancellation of his Manchester United contract has highlighted a shift within Asian football that started before the pandemic and which continues to have a significant impact. With money pouring into clubs often... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3208342/cristiano-ronaldos-saudi-arabia-switch-another-symbol-chinese-footballs-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3208342/cristiano-ronaldos-saudi-arabia-switch-another-symbol-chinese-footballs-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jan 2023 04:10:08 +0000 As Lionel Messi defined an era with his World Cup victory with Argentina, so another came to an end as the curtain fell on Qatar 2022 in the most spectacular fashion. Much has been said over the last 12 years about the hosting of the World Cup in the Gulf state; from the contentious bidding process through which the country acquired the rights, the switching of the tournament to winter and the highly public battle over workers’ welfare issues and human rights. Qatar 2022 has arguably been the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203887/fifa-world-cup-curtain-falls-most-politicised-sporting-event-recent-memory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203887/fifa-world-cup-curtain-falls-most-politicised-sporting-event-recent-memory?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Dec 2022 13:03:37 +0000 Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni held out hope Lionel Messi has not played his last World Cup match for Argentina after the 35-year-old helped his nation win the title for a third time with a penalty shoot-out victory over France on Sunday. Messi secured his legacy-defining success in dramatic fashion, scoring twice as the game finished in a 3-3 draw at the end of 120 minutes while Kylian Mbappe claimed a hat-trick for the vanquished side, who lost 4-2 in a battle from 12 yards after one of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203760/world-cup-final-argentinas-coach-lionel-scaloni-hopes-lionel-messi-will-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203760/world-cup-final-argentinas-coach-lionel-scaloni-hopes-lionel-messi-will-play?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Dec 2022 22:13:30 +0000 Lionel Messi cemented his status alongside Pele and Diego Maradona in the pantheon of football’s all-time greats in the most dramatic fashion on Sunday, as Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out to claim the World Cup title at Lusail Stadium. Tied 3-3 at the end of the most thrilling final in a generation – perhaps of all time – and after penalty misses by Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni, Gonzalo Montiel’s strike in the fourth round of spot kicks secured a third title for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203746/world-cup-final-messi-fires-argentina-glory-dramatic-win-over-france-mbappe-scores-hat-trick-losing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203746/world-cup-final-messi-fires-argentina-glory-dramatic-win-over-france-mbappe-scores-hat-trick-losing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Dec 2022 18:04:28 +0000 Didier Deschamps and his defending champions know France have been cast as the villains of the World Cup’s final epic storyline, with Lionel Messi standing on the cusp of a football fairy tale for the ages in Qatar’s Lusail Stadium on Sunday. But the former midfielder, a World Cup winner as both player and coach, cares little about global public sentiment leaning heavily in Argentina’s favour, as he prepares his team for a match that will be era-defining no matter which side wins. “I often get... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203703/fifa-world-cup-france-stand-brink-history-messi-fairy-tale-has-deschamps-side-cast-villains-piece?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203703/fifa-world-cup-france-stand-brink-history-messi-fairy-tale-has-deschamps-side-cast-villains-piece?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Dec 2022 14:01:35 +0000 Through the four weeks of Qatar 2022, as the global football community gathered for its quadrennial jamboree, one question has been on nobody’s lips: when will China bid to host the World Cup? Once among the hottest topics in the game’s corridors of power, China is now far removed from the growing debate around the destination of the 2030 edition. Where China was previously seen as a serious contender – perhaps even the favourite – the focus has shifted to a plethora of co-hosting options... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3203648/fifa-world-cup-notion-china-hosting-2030-fades-conversation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3203648/fifa-world-cup-notion-china-hosting-2030-fades-conversation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Dec 2022 00:45:09 +0000 France became the first nation to reach consecutive World Cup finals in more than 20 years on Wednesday, as Didier Deschamps’ defending champions squeezed into the Qatar 2022 showpiece with a barely convincing 2-0 win over a crestfallen Morocco at Al Bayt Stadium. Theo Hernandez’s fifth-minute strike gave France the lead and Randal Kolo Muani’s tap-in 11 minutes from time moved the French into the decider, the first time that any nation has appeared in two finals in a row since Brazil appeared... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203345/fifa-world-cup-2022-france-beat-morocco-face-messis-argentina-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203345/fifa-world-cup-2022-france-beat-morocco-face-messis-argentina-final?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Dec 2022 21:43:47 +0000 Within the sprawling environs of Doha’s Al Bidda Park, a short stroll from where the city’s glitzy skyline illuminates the shores of the Gulf, the heart of Qatar’s World Cup hosting pulses through the night with techno beats and football broadcast on enormous screens. Beer flows freely at the Fifa Fan Festival as supporters from around the world mingle. For those unable to acquire tickets for matches, this 188-hectare site has become the epicentre of their World Cup experience. On the fringes of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203222/fifa-world-cup-big-spending-sponsors-ensure-chinas-presence-qatar-remains-strong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203222/fifa-world-cup-big-spending-sponsors-ensure-chinas-presence-qatar-remains-strong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Dec 2022 04:45:14 +0000 Lionel Messi remains on track to crown his stellar career with a World Cup title after the mercurial playmaker inspired Argentina to a place in the final of Qatar 2022, as Lionel Scaloni’s side secured a commanding 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia on Tuesday. Messi scored with a 34th minute penalty to net his fifth goal of the tournament, and Julian Alvarez doubled his side’s lead five minutes later following a surging run from inside his own half to give the South American champions an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203202/fifa-world-cup-2022-messi-and-alvarez-propel-argentina-past-croatia-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203202/fifa-world-cup-2022-messi-and-alvarez-propel-argentina-past-croatia-final?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2022 21:57:09 +0000 For France, history beckons. Didier Deschamps and his World Cup holders stand on the cusp of era-defining greatness after moving closer to becoming the first nation to win back-to-back titles since Brazil in the days of Pele and Garrincha. Having eliminated England in the quarter-finals and Poland in the round before, the two-time winners and defending champions take on Morocco, Africa’s first-ever World Cup semi-finalists, with the smell of success in their nostrils. France are two victories... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203028/fifa-world-cup-france-cusp-era-defining-greatness-they-hunt-back-back-titles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3203028/fifa-world-cup-france-cusp-era-defining-greatness-they-hunt-back-back-titles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Dec 2022 12:00:17 +0000 Defending champions France moved into the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar on Saturday with Olivier Giroud’s header giving Didier Deschamps’ side a late lead and Harry Kane missing from the penalty spot as the 2018 winners secured a 2-1 victory at Al Bayt Stadium. Kane fired his 84th-minute attempt over the bar having earlier levelled the scores from the spot after Aurelien Tchouameni had given France a 17th minute advantage, only for Olivier Giroud to head in what turned out to be the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202861/fifa-world-cup-2022-olivier-giroud-header-sends-france-past-england-semi-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202861/fifa-world-cup-2022-olivier-giroud-header-sends-france-past-england-semi-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Dec 2022 21:19:40 +0000 Tournament favourites Brazil crashed out of the World Cup in Qatar on Friday as 2018 runners-up Croatia handed the five-time champions a 4-2 penalty shoot-out defeat after the teams had shared a 1-1 quarter-final draw at Education City Stadium. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved Rodrygo’s spot kick in the first round and Marquinhos hit the post as Brazil were eliminated, after Bruno Petkovic had dramatically cancelled out Neymar’s 105th-minute opener with only four minutes of extra time... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202793/world-cup-shock-brazil-kicked-out-tournament-4-2-penalty-shoot-out-loss-croatia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202793/world-cup-shock-brazil-kicked-out-tournament-4-2-penalty-shoot-out-loss-croatia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2022 18:41:34 +0000 For their legions of fans, next weekend’s World Cup final at the spectacular Lusail Stadium could see one of the sporting world’s most intense debates finally reach a conclusion. The endless argument over whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the greatest of their generation – or indeed of all time – has long ignited passions, both in the stands and, perhaps more poisonously, among social media’s keyboard warriors. As the quarter-finals at Qatar 2022 prepare for kick-off on Friday after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202597/fifa-world-cup-2022-messi-ronaldo-goat-debate-still-unsettled-and-they-could-meet-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202597/fifa-world-cup-2022-messi-ronaldo-goat-debate-still-unsettled-and-they-could-meet-final?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Dec 2022 13:26:28 +0000 Over the past three decades, the football rivalry between Japan and South Korea has been among the most intense in Asia. On and off the field, the two nations have fought to establish their pre-eminence, often at the other’s expense. From seeking to outdo one another on the pitch to engaging in a bitter, acrimonious battle for World Cup hosting rights back in 2002, the enmity between the pair has been palpable. Now that battle could be about to move onto the global stage. Japan and South Korea... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202021/fifa-world-cup-shadow-2002-hangs-over-japan-and-south-korea-old-adversaries-face-prospect-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3202021/fifa-world-cup-shadow-2002-hangs-over-japan-and-south-korea-old-adversaries-face-prospect-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Dec 2022 23:00:17 +0000 The United States secured their spot in the knockout rounds of the World Cup in Qatar, emerging with a 1-0 win from a potentially explosive clash with Carlos Queiroz’s Iran at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha late on Tuesday to set up a last 16 meeting with the Netherlands on Saturday. Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic scored seven minutes before half-time in a game that lacked any of the enmity between the teams representing nations that have long goaded and confronted one another on the geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3201469/fifa-world-cup-us-reach-last-16-pulisic-strike-sinks-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3201469/fifa-world-cup-us-reach-last-16-pulisic-strike-sinks-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Nov 2022 21:27:49 +0000