Iran make hard work of Hong Kong but are through to knockouts
January 19 – Iran squeezed past a determined Hong Kong 1-0 to advance to the round of 16 of the Asian Cup with a game to spare in Group C.
Indonesia battle to 1-0 win over Vietnam
January 19 – Indonesia earned their first points in the competition by converting a decisive penalty versus a wasteful Vietnam side, as both teams went for the jugular in a battle at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha.
Gerrard sticking with Al-Ettifaq and on-going build
January 19 – Former Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson may have departed after just six months but Steven Gerrard has signed a two-year contract extension to stay as head coach of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq until 2027.
North Macedonia renew kit deal wth Jako for another year
January 19 – The Football Federation of North Macedonia has renewed its kit with German sportswear supplier Jako for another year.
AFC readies for 20-team eAsian Cup kick off in Qatar
January 19 – The AFC has released more detail of the inaugural AFC eAsian Cup which will be played February 1-5 in Doha, running parallel to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.
Klinsmann forced to change keeper as Korea prepare for Jordan
January 19 – Jurgen Klinsmann and South Korea want to win the Asian Cup for goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, whose training-ground injury has ruled him out of the tournament.
LAFC adds Grasshopper Zurich to growing club collection
January 19 – MLS club LAFC has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Swiss club Grasshopper Zurich for an undisclosed fee.
Chung going again as AFC announces candidates for executive committee elections
January 19 – The Asian Football Confederation has announced the candidates for election to two executive committee posts that will be appointed at the confederation’s 34th Annual Congress in May in Bangkok, Thailand.
UEFA opens tender process for UWCL media and women’s football sponsorship rights
January 19 – UEFA has begun the tender process for media rights to the Women’s Champions League and Women’s Football sponsorship rights for the 2025-30 commercial cycle.
Dubai-based CFI Financial Group agrees AC Milan global partnership
January 19 – UAE-based online trading provider CFI Financial Group has agreed a global partnership with AC Milan, becoming the Italian Official Online Trading Partner.
Ratcliffe’s Man Utd buy-in was aided by Qatari failure to provide financial guarantees
January 18 – Details have emerged as to why Manchester United ended up opting for British investment instead of falling into Qatari hands.
Australia’s Arnold says being part of Asia’s growth has boosted performance levels
January 18 – Australia made the right call to leave Oceania and join the Asian Football confederation (AFC) in 2006 because of the superior level of opposition, says Socceroos coach Graham Arnold.
DAZN drops women’s football pay wall calling for stakeholders to unite around a ‘new deal’
January 18 – Streaming platform DAZN has dropped its pay wall for all women’s live football broadcasts for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
UAE cling on for point against Palestine on a night of passion in Doha
By Samindra Kunti in Doha
January 18 – Palestine drew 1-1 against ten-man United Arab Emirates to retain hopes of qualifying for the second round for the first time, but will be left to rue what could have been with striker Oday Dabbagh and the frontline not capitalising on a series of chances.
Klaveness says FIFA’s promised report on Qatar’s migrant work force is overdue
January 18 – The Norwegian football executive who rose to global acclaim when she got to her feet at the 2022 FIFA Congress to highlight the plight of migrant workers in Qatar, says she is still waiting for FIFA’s promised report into their treatment.