The Football Federation of Australia (FFA) on Thursday formally handed over its bid for the AFC Asian Cup 2015 finals at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur in AFC House. AFC President Mohammed Bin Hammam received the bid book from FFA Chairman Frank Lowy in the presence of AFC Vice President Zhang Jilong, AFC General Secretary Alex Soosay and FFA CEO Ben Buckle. Australia is the only candidate to bid for the 16th edition the Asian Cup tournament. Mr Lowy said “We at the FFA are dedicated, honoured and privileged to make AFC Asian Cup bigger, better and more successful than the previous editions. “It’s my honour to present the bid book and I can tell you that Australia is excited to host this event at all levels, sporting, government and the general public." Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Asian Cup Australian football

The local organizers of next year’s AFC Asian Cup are planning one of the most ambitious FanZone projects ever undertaken with the aim of involving the whole community in Asia’s premier sporting event. The Qatar Local Organising Committee (QLOC) of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 yesterday approved what is almost certain to be the hub of activities during the 16-nation tournament which kicks off on 7 January. The QLOC Board of Directors gave the go-ahead to a wide range of entertainment, food and fun for all the family to celebrate the three-week festival of football. QLOC is confident the FanZone will attract more than football lovers and will be “The Place To Be” for all the family. While the location has not been confirmed, the FanZone will be open every day during the tournament and will offer a different schedule of events every day with an ever-changing menu of food and drink from participating countries from the region and across Asia. "QLOC is constantly looking for innovative ways to spark interest in the tournament and get everyone involved in this great festival of the best football in Asia,” said Hilal Al-Mohannadi, the Communications and Marketing Director. For lovers of football, there will be penalty simulators, speed kicking, goal wall and ball control competitions, tabletop football and electronic football games (FIFA, Pro Evolution Soccer), beach soccer and street soccer. And for those interested in the zanier side of the game, there are plans for a football pitch with bumps as well as a three goal-pitch. Different regional food and drink will be served (from Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Indian, Far East , Uzbekistan and Australia) in a nice and relaxing environment. All month long, QLOC will be offering a number of interactive experiences, including the chance to win prizes, photo opportunities and much more at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 FanZone. And not forgetting the tournament of course, giant TV screens will display the live matches. Concerts and shows will also be part of this entertainment extravaganza. The AFC Asian Cup kicks off on 7 January at Khalifa International Stadium with hosts Qatar playing Uzbekistan. Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Asian Cup football

Doha, Qatar , 01 June - Asia’s governing football body, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have enthusiastically endorsed the arrangements in place for Qatar’s biggest sporting event next year, the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™. Senior officials from the AFC’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur are in Qatar to look at the preparations and planning for Asia’s premier football tournament which brings together the continent’s 16 top teams from 7-29 January next year. The AFC visited the five stadiums staging the 32 matches in the tournament, including the jewel in Qatar’s crown, Khalifa International Stadium, which will be hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, Qatar’s matches in the group phase, one quarter-final, one semi-final and the final. “We have visited all the venues as well as the Main Media Centre and the International Broadcast Centre and we went through many details with the venue planning team. We have completed, during our visit, all venues planning as well as the finer details related to the broadcast requirements”, said Mr Tokuaki Suzuki, AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ Tournament Director. The two sides were also discussing Ticketing, Marketing and Accreditation programmes with a particular focus on attracting football fans from the region as well as Qatar. In addition, the local organisers presented their plans for a stunning FanZone with games, food and entertainment which is expected to be the hub of activities during the tournament. The AFC’s management team also fine tuned the planned broadcast operations for the event which will be watched by hundreds of millions of viewers across Asia. The local organisers, the Qatar Local Organising Committee (QLOC), are working closely with host broadcaster Al Dawri Al Kass to provide High Definition (HD) coverage of every match in the tournament for the first time in Asian Cup history. QLOC’s Chief Operating Officer Dr Athanasios Batsilas was also optimistic that his team, a number of them with international event experience, would produce a world-class tournament. “Nearly all the elements are in place,” he said. “We have had very fruitful discussions with the AFC and are on track to stage a great event which will showcase the best of Asian football.” Mr Suzuki added: “We appreciate all the hard work that has been done by the venue planning department of the QLOC to get the facilities up to the standards of AFC. I believe the QLOC have done a very good job and we look forward to working with them closely over the next seven months”. To underline the quality of the tournament, four of the 16 qualifiers – Australia, Japan, the Korea Republic and DPR Korea – will be taking part in the World Cup in South Africa which kicks off on 11 June. Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Asian Cup football

2011 Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ kick-off times confirmed Kuala Lumpur: AFC has announced the kick-off times for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™. All the group matches will kick off at 4:15pm and 7:15pm local time (Doha local time is GMT +3 hours). The group matches will be played from January 7, 2011, to January 19, 2011. The quarter-finals (January 21 and 22, 2011; Khalifa, Al Sadd, Al Gharafa, and Qatar SC Stadiums) and the semi-finals (January 25, 2011; Khalifa and Al Gharafa Stadiums) will start at 4:25pm and 7:25pm. The third-fourth place match will be played on January 28 at 6pm at the Al Sadd Stadium, while the Final starts at 6pm on January 29 at the Khalifa Stadium. The kick-off times were finalised after taking on board the feedback from broadcasters in east and west Asia as well as the views of Qatar Local Organising Committee (QLOC). The 2011 Asian Cup tournament takes places Jan 7-29 in Qatar. The groups: Group A: Qatar, Kuwait, China PR, Uzbekistan Group B: Saudi Arabia, Japan, Jordan, Syria Group C: Korea Rep., India, Australia, Bahrain Group D: Iraq, DPR Korea, UAE, IR Iran Tags World Cup Pens Asian Cup football

2011 Asian Cup Draw Group A Qatar Kuwait China Uzbekistan Group B Saudi Arabia Syria Jordan Japan Group C South Korea Bahrain India Australia Group D Iraq North Korea UAE Iran The 2011 Asian Cup tournament takes places Jan 7-29 in Qatar. Tags World Cup Pens Asian Cup football

The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ Finals draw will be streamed live on the-afc.com, courtesy of the-afc.tv on Friday. You may watch the live footage of the draw at 7pm Doha time (GMT +3). The draw is due to be held at the Aspire Dome in Doha with 16 teams eager to find out who they will play in the tournament from April 7-29, 2011. Live Draw Video Stream: live.the-afc.net/afc/ac2k11/draw/index.htm Draw mechanics: www.the-afc.com/en/afc-asian-cup-news/28326-afc-asian-cup-qatar-2011-finals-draw-mechanics Tags World Cup Pens Asian Cup Qatar football

DOHA: The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ Finals Draw will take place at the magnificent Aspire Dome in the Qatari capital on Friday, April 23, 2010. The draw will start at 1900 hours local time at the world’s largest indoor sports facility, and by the end of the process 16 teams will have been slotted into four groups of four each (4x4) under the Dome’s distinctive sloping roof. The 16 teams in the hat for the draw are: Qatar (hosts), Australia, Bahrain, China, DPR Korea, India, Iran, Iraq (defending champions), Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Uzbekistan. The Asian Cup tournament runs from January 7-29, 2011. Aspire Dome is part of the Aspire Zone that hosts the Khalifa Stadium, Aspire Academy, Hamad Aquatic Centre and Aspire Park. Tags Qatar News Asian Cup

Doha, Qatar , 4 January Australia and Japan, two of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) powerhouses, can book their places in the finals of Asian Football Cup 2011 when 18 Asian nations battle it out on Wednesday in the penultimate round of the tournament’s five qualifying groups. Hosts Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Korea Republic, India, Uzbekistan and Syria have already qualified for the 16-nation competition but at least another four nations can join them in Doha next January. Three-times AFC Asian Cup winner Japan who play Yemen in Sana’a had considered not playing in the Gulf country because of the security situation, but Kyodo News Agency reported at the weekend that the AFC had carried out checks and contacted the Japan Football Association to give them the all-clear to make the trip as scheduled. Japan only need a point to qualify, but have included 13 new faces with coach Takeshi Okada saying that his focus is on this year’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Underdogs Yemen go into the match after a confidence-denting 1-0 defeat to Tajikistan on Saturday in Sana’a. Bahrain, who share top spot with the Japanese in Group A, play Hong Kong at home and a win would also them through to the finals. Australia, the AFC’s top-ranked nation, play in Kuwait on the same day, but, like Japan, will be fielding an under-strength side without most of their European-based players. Regular midfielder Jason Culina has also pulled out after injuring his knee in a local Australia A League match. Both Kuwait and Australia lead Group B and either side can go through to the finals with a win. Kuwait will be buoyed by their 1-0 defeat in the Australian capital Canberra last March. Other nations involved in friendly matches in preparation for Wednesday’s round have had mixed fortunes. Singapore, involved in a four-way battle for qualification in Group E, drew 0-0 and lost 4-1 in two friendlies at home to Oman in the last week, and will come up against an Iranian team buoyed by a 1-0 defeat of the Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) in the Four-Nation Friendly Tournament in Doha on Saturday. Jordan, who shocked Iran 1-0 last November to stay in contention for qualification from Group E, must be happy with their preparation for their match against Thailand, coming back from two goals down against China in Shandong to earn a creditable draw. Jordan bring up the rear in Group E with four points from four matches but a win against Thailand, who are third on five points, could take the fight for two top spots to the last round on 3 March. China, who are second in Group D with nine points, have a crunch game in Zhejiang against leaders Syria, who have already qualified with 10 points, and will almost certainly qualify if they win. The United Arab Emirates look set to join Uzbekistan from Group C and should wrap up their place with a win against winless Malaysia at the Al-Shahab stadium. Malaysia go into the match with a shock 4-1 victory over Syria in a friendly in Kuala Lumpur but with three defeats in their group it would need a miracle to stay in contention. The Malaysians are still smarting from a 5-0 drubbing at home to the UAE in January last year. Match schedule: 06.01.10 - 16:15 YEMEN - JAPAN (A) Ali Mohsen Al-Muraisi Stadium 06.01.10 - 18:00 BAHRAIN - HONG KONG (A) National Stadium, Manama 06.01.10 - 17:30 KUWAIT - AUSTRALIA (B) Kuwait S.C. Stadium 06.01.10 - 19:30 INDONESIA - OMAN(B) Gelora Bung Karno Stadium 06.01.10 - 19:00 UAE - MALAYSIA(C) Al-Shabab Stadium 06.01.10 - 17:00 LEBANON - VIETNAM (D) Beirut Municipal Stadium 06.01.10 - 19:30 CHINA P.R. - SYRIA (D) Zhejiang Yellow Dragon Sports Center 06.01.10 - 18:30 THAILAND - JORDAN (E) Rajamangala Stadium 06.01.10 - 19:30 SINGAPORE - I.R.IRAN Bishan Stadium 17.01.10 - 19:00 VIETNAM - CHINA P.R. (D) My Dinh Stadium The final round of matches will be played on 03.03.10. See www.the-afc.com Compiled by Francesca Camerano Tags Soccer News Asian Cup

A shock 1-0 loss to Bahrain in Asian Cup qualifying has ramped up the pressure on Japan coach Takeshi Okada. After struggling to see off Yemen 2-1 in their opening Asian Cup qualifier just over a week ago, Japan slumped to a disappointing defeat in Manama - not that anyone in Japan saw it. For the first time in over a decade a Japan full international was not broadcast live on Japanese TV, after the Japan Football Association failed to reach an agreement with the Bahrain FA over broadcast fees. Coach Okada will no doubt be pleased that Japan fans were denied the chance to see their team in action, as from all accounts the Blue Samurai turned in a desperately disappointing display. Salman Issa struck the only goal of the game in the 24th minute at the National Stadium in Manama, and a Japan team missing creative midfielders Shunsuke Nakamura and Yasuhito Endo and striker Yoshito Okubo failed to break down a resolute Bahrain defence. In the wake of the defeat Okada told Kyodo News, "there were a lot of misplaced passes in midfield and when you make a lot of mistakes things obviously do not go well. It's very disappointing to lose but we just have to look at this as a lesson learned ahead of Australia." Japan's upcoming World Cup qualifier with Australia in Yokohama looms large for Okada, with growing disquiet surrounding his tenure in charge as national team coach. The former Yokohama F. Marinos tactician could find his job on the line should Japan fail to record a satisfactory outcome against a team that is fast becoming one of the Blue Samurai's fiercest rivals. Okada has mounting injury concerns with both Seigo Narazaki and Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi ruled out through injury - meaning that third-choice keeper Eiji Kawashima will continue between the posts. Japan's last hit out before their Yokohama showdown is a friendly at the National Stadium in Tokyo against Finland, and Okada has named the following squad for both games; Goalkeepers: Ryota Tsuzuki (Urawa Reds), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale), Takanori Sugeno (Kashiwa Reysol) Defenders: Shuhei Terada (Kawasaki Frontale), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F. Marinos), Kazumichi Takagi (Gamba Osaka), Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Urawa Reds), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Michihiro Yasuda (Gamba Osaka), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers) Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic/SCO), Hideo Hashimoto (Gamba Osaka), Junichi Inamoto (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki), Daisuke Matsui (Saint-Etienne/FRA), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Makoto Hasebe (VfL Wolfsburg/GER), Shinji Kagawa (Cerezo Osaka) Forwards: Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), Seiichiro Maki (JEF United), Yoshito Okubo (Wolfsburg/GER), Tatsuya Tanaka (Urawa Reds), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse) Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Asian Cup Draw 2007 Kuala Lumpur, December 20, 2006 Holders Japan will be hoping to three-peat when the 2007 Asian Cup kicks off in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia next July. The July 7-29 championships will include newcomers Australia for the first time. Saudi Arabia were restricted to playing their opening games in Malaysia or Indonesia due to an ongoing political spat with Thailand. Group A Australia Oman Iraq Thailand Group B Japan UAE Vietnam Qatar Group C Iran