NEWSWORTHY
Asia holds draw for first round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers
The first steps on the road to the next World Cup were taken on Wednesday when the Asian Football Confederation held a draw for the first round of qualifying for Qatar 2022. Twelve of Asia's lowest-ranked teams will face each other home and away on ...
Gianni Infantino holds Kuwait talks on staging 2022 World Cup games
FIFA President Gianni Infantino held talks in Kuwait on Sunday about the country staging 2022 World Cup matches as he pushes to enlarge the Qatar tournament from 32 to 48 teams. After meeting with the emir of Kuwait and soccer officials, Infantino flew to Doha ...
A group of American hackers who once worked for U.S. intelligence agencies helped the United Arab Emirates spy on a BBC host, the chairman of Al Jazeera and other prominent Arab media figures during a tense 2017 confrontation pitting the UAE and its allies ...
Japan heading into World Cup qualifiers with ultimate goal still in sight
Japan's men's national team faces a simple calculation in its upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Qatar — win to advance. But with the absence of both its U.S.-based talents — emerging Gonzaga University star and NBA draft hopeful Rui Hachimura and fringe Memphis ...
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu confident about future despite loss in Asian Cup final
Despite the disappointment of a surprise 3-1 loss against Qatar in the Asian Cup final on Friday, Japan saw encouraging performances from several of its emerging players in the United Arab Emirates. Manager Hajime Moriyasu, who took the reins following last summer's World Cup, overlooked ...
Qatar foiled Japan’s bid for a record-extending fifth Asian Cup title on Friday, winning the tournament for the first time in a 3-1 upset. Golden Boot winner and tournament MVP Almoez Ali scored an early opener before Abdelaziz Hatim added a second as Felix Sanchez’s ...
Samurai Blue boss Hajime Moriyasu urges team to give best effort in Asian Cup final
Japan must lay everything on the line against Qatar in the Asian Cup final, head coach Hajime Moriyasu said Thursday, on the eve of the tournament decider. The Samurai Blue are aiming to extend their record number of continental titles to five at Zayed Sports ...
This week has provided ample opportunity for all of us who doubted Japan's ability to reach the Asian Cup final to take a long, deep drink from the fountain of hubris. Few expected Japan to defeat Iran, the heavily favored Asia No. 1 which entered ...
The Taliban's new political leader is expected to join meetings with U.S. officials in Qatar imminently, Taliban sources said Saturday as the latest round of talks to find ways to end the 17-year Afghan war entered a sixth day. The peace talks, initially slated for ...
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo faced a tough balancing act Monday as he pressed Saudi Arabia's crown prince over critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder while shoring up strategic ties with Riyadh. The top U.S. diplomat, on an extensive Middle East tour, held talks with King ...
U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo to tell Saudi Arabia to hold Khashoggi's killers 'accountable'
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday arrived in Riyadh, where he is set to ask Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to ensure the killers of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are held accountable. The top U.S. diplomat, on an extensive Middle East tour, embarked ...
