By John Duerden
April 16 – Hafez Al Medlej may be the forgotten candidate for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation presidential election but the Saudi appears to believe he could end up becoming the sole contender from West Asia at the May 2 ballot.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
April 15 – The race for the presidency of the Asian Football Confederation has taken a dramatic new twist with the news that FIFA vice-president Worawi Makudi may not be able to count on the unanimous support of his own south-east Asia region.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Dubai
April 9 – If Yousuf Al Serkal wins the race to become the new boss of Asian football at next month’s election, expect him to throw his powerful voice behind the growing calls to switch the 2022 Qatar World Cup to the winter.
By Mark Baber
April 8 – Australian pay-TV network Foxtel has pledged $20 million over the next four years to support the development of youth football in Australia.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Dubai
April 8 – Against the backdrop of one of the world’s most famous racecourses, Asian Football Confederation presidential candidate Yousuf Al Serkal surged out of the blocks today and declared himself the best man to restore unity and transparency to the troubled region.
April 8 – PepsiCo, has entered into a one-year partnership with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP) under the theme ‘Kick for Hope’ which will focus on India and 11 countries in the Middle East including the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen.
By Mark Baber
April 5 – Whilst a football match last weekend between Bollywood AllStars and Cricket AllStars, won 4-3 by the cricketers raised money the Virat Kohli Charity Foundation, the involvement of the Bollywood superstars in popularising the game in India seems to be far more talk than action.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 5 – Supporters of Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa insist he is emerging as the favourite to win the race to become the next President of the Asian Football Confederation.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 5 – Three Lebanese officials who were suddenly pulled out of an Asian Football Confederation cup game in Singapore have been charged over allegations of receiving sexual bribes in exchange for match-fixing, according to the country’s anti-corruption unit which acted on a tip-off.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 4 – Lebanese football, already reeling from an ongoing match-fixing scandal, has suffered even more embarrassment after three of its officials were suddenly pulled out of taking charge of an AFC Cup game in Singapore.
April 4 – Singapore and Vietnam will be co-hosts for the AFF Suzuki Cup group stages in 2014, the region’s premier competition held every two years.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
April 3 – Yousuf Al Serkal, one of the four contenders bidding to become the next Asian Football Confederation president, is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to snatch victory in next month’s election in Kuala Lumpur.
By Mark Baber
April 3 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is looking for investors interested in setting up new franchise clubs on the sub-continent to promote football as a sport in India and establish an international recognition for its I-league.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 2 – The chief organiser of the 2022 Qatar World Cup insists he doesn’t need to win the upcoming vote for a place on the top table at FIFA simply so that he can “protect” the Gulf state’s right to stage the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 2 – Palestinian football is to receive a major injection of support from FIFA as it strives to enhance its development despite continuing conflict and hardship in the war-torn region. FIFA are donating a $4.5m grant which Palestinian officials hope will change the global view of the area and promote football as a tool for change.