China coach Li Tie paid tribute to predecessor Marcello Lippi after rescuing the country's hopes of reaching the World Cup for only the second time.... more »
Syria joined Japan in the third round of World Cup qualifying from Asia after a first-half double by Mardak Mardikian helped them beat Guam 3-0 and confirm their top position in Group A on Monday.... more »
China on Monday named five foreign-born players for critical World Cup qualifiers starting later this month as the world's most populous country steps up its controversial naturalisation policy.... more »
Marcello Lippi announced he was quitting as China coach after his team fell to a 2-1 defeat by Syria in 2022 World Cup qualifying on Thursday.... more »
Tom Rogic's injury-time thunderbolt settled an Asian Cup thriller on Tuesday as defending champions Australia beat Syria 3-2 to reach the last 16 and knock out their war-torn rivals.... more »
Syria's Ahmad Al-Saleh blamed axed coach Bernd Stange "100 percent" on Monday for their problems at the Asian Cup as the war-torn nation plot a great escape against holders Australia.... more »
Syria axed their coach Bernd Stange late on Thursday after defeat to Jordan in the Asian Cup, making him the tournament's second managerial casualty just six days into the competition.... more »
Veteran German coach Bernd Stange took charge of the Syrian national team on Wednesday, his sixth international appointment in a career which has also included a stint with Iraq.... more »
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou failed to confirm or deny reports he's about to quit on Wednesday, raising speculation he'll walk away even if they qualify for the World Cup.... more »
Veteran striker Tim Cahill scored deep into extra time to take Australia a big step closer to next year's World Cup and end war-torn Syria's fairytale run in the play-offs on Tuesday.... more »
Syrian football fans have trolled Australia's official Facebook supporters page ahead of Tuesday's World Cup play-off in Sydney, flooding it with thousands of messages.... more »
Australian players and media slammed the referee after Syria's controversial late penalty dented their hopes of reaching next year's World Cup following a 1-1 play-off draw in Malacca.... more »
Omar al-Soma buried a late penalty as war-torn Syria drew 1-1 with Australia to put their two-legged World Cup play-off on a knife-edge on Thursday.... more »
A qualifying campaign that has defied civil war and internal splits has brought Syria within sight of a miraculous World Cup berth -- if they can overcome Asian champions Australia.... more »
Omar Al Soma's stoppage-time equaliser took war-torn Syria into Asia's World Cup play-offs on Tuesday, as South Korea and Saudi Arabia both booked their spots at next year's tournament.... more »
Japan thrashed Syria 5-0 to finish top of their World Cup qualifying group on Tuesday but they needed a flurry of late goals to give the scoreline a flattering complexion.... more »
Syria's football coach courted controversy on Tuesday when he questioned the moment's silence for victims of the Paris attacks held before his team's 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Singapore.... more »
Syria's national football team used a pre-match news conference in Singapore to defiantly show support for President Bashar al-Assad, sparking blowback from local fans calling for politics to be left on the sidelines.... more »
Qatar received a difficult draw for the 2018 World Cup on Tuesday as they embark on their final attempt to qualify for the tournament before hosting it in 2022.... more »
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