Last week's surprise 2-1 win over Argentina means victory over Mexico on Wednesday would take Saudi Arabia into the next round in Qatar and the Green Falcons' improved performances have come as a result of increased professionalism domestically.
Qatar's Akram Afif has been named Asian Player of the Year at the Asian Football Confederation's annual awards in Hong Kong on Monday, with Saki Kumagai from Japan claiming the women's prize.
Global football body FIFA has been urged by its own human rights advisory panel to give Iran a deadline for allowing women to watch football matches.
Bagan adopted a completely different approach from the first leg. They had 16 shots in the first half but just three on target. It took them just three minutes to sound a warning.
IMAGES from soccer matches played on Monday.
Indian football hero of '80s, Chibuzor dies
Chan Yuen-ting, the first female coach to lead a men's professional soccer club to a top-flight title, hopes her success with Hong Kong's Eastern will inspire other women to follow their dreams.
European champions Chelsea will face either Monterrey of Mexico or the winners of the Asian Champions League in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup following draw for the tournament.
'You cannot achieve everything in one day and in the long path, there will be ups and downs in your life.'
Chinese Super League clubs started to return to training on Monday, two months after the league's originally scheduled start date of February 22 but still some time before the new season is likely to begin. While mid-April was previously touted as a possible date for the CSL's return, the positive test returned at the weekend by former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini may well have pushed that back.
Weekend soccer matches in Japan's J.League have been cancelled because of the devastating earthquake that hit north of Tokyo on Friday, killing many and triggering a tsunami.
A female Iranian fan died earlier this month, after setting herself on fire to protest against her arrest for attending a match.
Iranian women have been banned from stadiums when men's teams have been playing, since just after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
East Bengal slumped to their fourth straight defeat in the AFC Cup after a 1-4 drubbing at the hands of Al Qadsia in their away match in Kuwait City.
Uzbekistan midfielder Server Djeparov was named 2008 Asian Player of the Year by the Asian Football Confederation at a ceremony on Tuesday. Djeparov, who plays for Bunyodkor, finished ahead of Yasuhito Endo and prevented Japan's 2008 Asian Champions League winners Gamba Osaka completing a hat-trick of awards.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The top official mentioned that having a women's team has been made a part of the licensing criteria for clubs.
While the venue for the senior national team is fixed, a lot also depends on the state governments as far as organising the camps for the U-16 outfit and U-17 women's side are are concerned.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that the government will keep in close touch with all relevant groups to ensure a virus outbreak does not have affect the Summer Olympics. Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto said organisers are not considering cancelling the Olympics, which start on July 24.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
List of international sports events affected by the coronavirus that has killed over 900 people and infected more than 40,000 in China
Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan kicked off their AFC Cup football campaign with a commanding 5-2 victory over Maziya Sports and Recreation Club of the Maldives in Guwahati on Wednesday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
India began the year on 97 in FIFA rankings, but after two wins, four draws and seven losses, the country ended 2019 at 108
Southampton confirmed that they had signed 23-year-old Walker-Peters, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the club. British media put the fee at 12 million pounds.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia will be the first in more 35 years to be held without spectators after organisers introduced tighter measures to protect against the coronavirus. Here is a list of international sports events hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
Rediff.com brings you a selection of images of fans taking to the field of play to make a point or gain attention.
Saudi club Al-Hilal have furiously demanded a formal probe into the appointment of the referees for the Asian Champions League final, which they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The Western Sydney Wanderers hailed themselves Asia's biggest club after displaying trademark Australian grit to win the AFC Champions League on Saturday, three years after their formation.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday.
Yasuhito Endo chalked up another milestone in his storied career when Japan beat Iraq in the Asian Cup on Friday, yet his single-minded focus on team first was evident for all to see.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
His mere presence causes hysteria and pandemonium in the Land of the Rising Sun and he has no tennis equal in a continent heaving with 4.427 billion inhabitants, yet self-effacing Kei Nishikori thinks he is simply 'one' of the best players in Japan.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been named Sweden's footballer of the year for the ninth time and although his eighth victory in a row came as no shock, his acceptance speech showing a more sensitive side surprised many.
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