ANALYSIS
OUR VERDICT: Is Skočić saga a sign of Iran imploding again?
Brutal is the act of sacking a manager who qualified a team for the FIFA World Cup. Going to the World Cup is the dream of anyone – player or coach – and the moment […]
ROAD TO QATAR 2022
ANALYSIS
OUR VERDICT: Ahead of the World Cup, what did we learn from EAFF E-1 Championships?
Japan won the double at the recent EAFF E-1 Championships, winning both the men’s and women’s tournaments on home soil. With the FIFA World Cup just over three months away in Qatar, this tournament represented […]
ROAD TO QATAR 2022
Japanese World Cup hopefuls given chance to impress
Along with having one of the most unnecessarily complicated names in world football, the EAFF E-1 Football Championships has, in recent years, been relegated to a position as one of the more obscure international tournaments, […]
ANALYSIS
Saudi’s future shines for historic U23 triumph
Saudi Arabia were crowned U23 AFC Asian Cup champions for the first time this weekend, following an ultimately comprehensive 2-0 victory over hosts Uzbekistan at Milliy Stadium in Tashkent, following 32 matches squeezed into under […]
ROAD TO QATAR 2022
Abdulrahman’s return breathes life into UAE World Cup hopes
On a typically balmy summer’s evening at Sydney’s cavernous Olympic Stadium for the quarter final of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, a collective gasp could be heard echoing around the barely quarter-filled stadium. It was […]
OPINION
OPINION: Does it matter where you play?
Saudi Arabia stamped their qualification for Qatar 2022 with a display against Australia at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium that was the perfect encapsulation of modern Saudi football. They were disciplined and aggressive. They […]
ANALYSIS
Qualification complete, Asia’s true test awaits in Qatar
Four years is a long time in football. Drawing to a close another cycle of qualification in Asia, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Japan will once again represent the continent in the main World […]
ANALYSIS
Qualification a coming of age for the Green Falcons
Almost four years on from their infamous 5-0 defeat to Russia that opened the World Cup in 2018, Saudi Arabia have booked their return to the global showpiece, after their peerless qualification was sealed on […]
ANALYSIS
Hope springs eternal for UAE after underwhelming campaign
One win for the United Arab Emirates over the next week will likely guarantee their Road to Qatar 2022 journey continues to the final AFC playoff in June. The question to ask then is, why […]
ANALYSIS
Qatar 2022 qualification shows Iran’s growth
Following their 1-0 victory over bitter rivals Iraq on Thursday, Iran became the second Asian nation to guarantee participation at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year. Scenes of jubilation and pride broke […]