Category archive - FEATURES

Asian Cup – Lemon or Success?

Asian Cup – Lemon or Success?

EXCLUSIVE: Scott McIntyre

What exactly is a lemon?

There’s been a lot of talk over the past week or so in Australia over whether or not the 2015 Asian Cup will be a success but for me the key is in defining the specific notion of success.

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Against all odds – Iraq’s Olympic fairytale

Against all odds – Iraq’s Olympic fairytale

With the Asian play-offs for the 2012 Olympic Games set to take place in Vietnam at the end of March, World Sport Group looks back at the remarkable story of Iraq’s surprise run to the semi-finals of the football tournament at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 with then coach Adnan Hamad recounting the story of a team that rose above adversity.

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Incheon’s new home comforts

Incheon’s new home comforts

By Iain Pearce

Sunday afternoon saw the opening game at Incheon United’s magnificent-looking new Sungeui Stadium. The weather was cold, but how did everything the club’s new home had on offer help to warm up the thousands who made their way there for the grand opening?

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Exploring Malaysian Football

Exploring Malaysian Football

By Keeshaanan Sundaresan – AFF Malaysian correspondent

Out of all the delicate and intriguing things in life, a punching bag is the one thing that fascinates me the most. I can’t remember the last time I had one of those, but the inner message behind it still remains crystal clear in my mind till today. A message that pretty much relates to the state of football from where I belong, Malaysia.

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Introducing Belal Arezou

Introducing Belal Arezou

By Edrees Mayar - AFF Afghanistan correspondent

When most of us think of Afghanistan we think of war, bloodshed, Taliban, hunger and tribal conflicts. Football would not be something at the forefront of people’s minds.

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Football brings harmony to war torn Afghanistan

Football brings harmony to war torn Afghanistan

By Edrees Mayar – AFF Afghan correspondent

Afghanistan recently participated in the SAFF Championships 2011, a bi-annual tournament consisting of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Pakistan and Maldives.

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Living the dream

Living the dream

By Paul Williams

A career in Europe was something Lee Yong-jae dreamed about as a kid, and now the FC Nantes striker gets to live it every day. The young star recently sat down for an exclusive interview with Asian Football Feast.

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Kiyotake to follow in Kagawa’s footsteps

Kiyotake to follow in Kagawa’s footsteps

By Matt Kenny

Last season was a landmark one for Japanese football as Atsuto Uchida became the first player from the Land of the Rising Sun to play in the semi-finals of the Champions League, as he started both legs of Schalke’s eventual battering by Manchester United.

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The Paraguayan Challenge

The Paraguayan Challenge

By Paul Williams

As a 20-year-old Riki Kitawaki, then with Tokyo Verdy, was looking for a new challenge. He found it…17,000km away in Asuncion, Paraguay.

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DPR Korea & Japan: An uneasy relationship

DPR Korea & Japan: An uneasy relationship

By Diarmuid Delaney

In my previous article, I discussed the roots of the South Korean and Japanese rivalry, arguably the biggest rivalry in Asia. With Japan hosting the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (hereafter referred to as North Korea) on Friday, September 2nd in Saitama, I’d like to examine the roots and nature of this particular rivalry.

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