Liga de Qatar: Al Khor-Al Wakra( 2-1)

Juegos Asiáticos: Qatar falla un gol increible ante Uzbekistán

Qatar falló un gol increible en su partido de los cuartos de final de los Juegos Asiáticos 2010 ante Uzbekistán. Vean la curiosa jugada.

Sidka tries to get Iraq in shape for Asian Cup defence

The family is concerned and the football fans surprised about the new engagement of German Wolfgang Sidka as Iraq national team coach.The security situation in the country remains tense, but the 56-year-old Sidka is playing down the threat as he tries to get a team in shape for the daunting task of defending the Asian Cup title in January 2011."I am staying in the Kurdish area in the north of the country. It is safe here in Arbil where (the ruling body) FIFA also allows us to host our international matches. I am not afraid," he told German Press Agency dpa in a telephone interview.

Sidka took the Iraq hotseat in early August through contacts of an Iraqi he met during a past stint as Bahrain coach.Several coaches reportedly dismissed the job which has seen six trainers in four years in the war-torn country, but Sidka was interested in the challenge."I asked a friend at the (German) Foreign Ministry and a journalist who has been living in Iraq for nine years. Then I flew there to get a first-hand view," he said. Sidka, who has also coached clubs in Qatar, is currently selecting a squad for the September 24-October 3 West Asian Football Federation Championship in Ammann with his two Iraqi assistant coaches.He will not be able to have the seven foreign-based professionals such as Yunis Mahmud, who scored the famous winner over Saudi Arabia in the 2007 Asian Cup. The only experienced player is Nashat Akram, who is without a club after winning the Dutch title in the past season with Twente."I have looked at around 50 players. The boys are talented and want to achieve something," said Sidka.

Iraq has not played a competitive match in 10 months due to FIFA sanctions over government interference into football affairs in the country. Their last big event was the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa where they drew 0-0 with the hosts and New Zealand and were beaten only 1-0 by European champions Spain.The Gulf Cup in Yemen set for November 22-December 4 will be the final test ahead of the Asian Cup in Qatar January 7-29, 2011.

Iraq may be the title holders but surviving the first round alone from Group D over Iran, the United Arab Emirates and North Korea will likely be a success next year. "We have a difficult group. And then there are also the World Cup teams of Japan, South Korea and Australia. It will be very difficult," Sidka told dpa.However, Sidka believes that a missed title defence will not stop the football frenzy in the country. "The people are totally football-crazy. Football is the number one (sport) here," said Sidka, who like others in the past points out that the sport knows no ethnical barriers. "Football brings the ethnic groups together. I don't even know who belongs to which group. And that is not an issue within the team," he said.

AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 online ticket sales start

The tickets for Asia’s flagship national team competition went on sale online on Sunday at the push of a button by the Qatar Local Organising Committee (QLOC) Executive Board member Mohammed Mubarak here in the host city.

“Today, we are proud to launch the website for the online ticket sales of our tournament, a most convenient purchasing method which is now used in most international sports championships,” said Mubarak on behalf of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Saoud Al-Mohannadi.

Al-Mohannadi said in a message for the launch: “In co-ordination with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), this will be the first time that a major sporting event in Qatar has been able to provide its own official online ticket sales service.”

This is also the first time tickets are going on sale almost six months before the kick-off of the tournament proper, which marks a milestone development in promoting the competition to fans in Asia and worldwide.

AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam also urged fans to book their seats early in the five stadiums for their favourite teams.

“AFC is pleased to launch the online ticket sales of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™. You can now start buying your tickets to watch the top 16 teams of Asia in action in Doha from January 7 to 29 next year,” said Bin Hammam.

“The tickets are reasonably priced to give everybody an opportunity to enjoy and maximise the stadium experience. AFC is keen to make the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ an event for the whole family and our ticketing concept is family-friendly."

The AFC Asian Cup’s association with online ticket sales started in the previous edition, which was co-hosted in 2007 by four countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Tickets can be purchased online for all 32 matches from today via AFC’s official website www.the-AFC.com and the official website of the competition, www.afcasiancup.com.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr Athanasios Batsilas, said the system developed by the organizing committee and the AFC is dynamic, effective and user friendly.

“The organisers spared no effort in producing a website that is user friendly – right from the time of purchase to going to the matches.”

The fan purchasing tickets online will receive an immediate confirmation email listing his or her details as well as all details of the purchase. The customer can go with his or her confirmation to any ticket outlet to collect the tickets.

The physical ticket sales in the host country will be launched later this year. At that stage, tickets shall be available on a first-come-first-served basis at select ticket kiosks within the host country.

“We have worked closely with the AFC to provide this dynamic, user friendly service. It will give thousands of fans across the Asian continent the opportunity to reserve their seats nearly six months out from the tournament,” said Al Mohannadi.

“Of course, we are also thinking of our local fans inside Qatar and will be making tickets available through regular ticket outlets. The starting date for these sales will be announced soon and this will be made known through local promotional campaigns,” said the QLOC chief.

Bearing in mind the popularity of the AFC Asian Cup amongst the participating countries, a portion of the tickets for the continental showpiece have been earmarked for travelling fans.

“In addition, the organisers, in collaboration with AFC's marketing partner, are preparing a special package for spectators who are coming from outside Qatar. This package, which will be announced soon, will include air tickets, match tickets and sightseeing tours of Doha and Qatar.” added Al Mohannadi.

The different categories of tickets have been reasonably priced to ensure that they are within the reach of all fans, and AFC will be working closely with the ticketing service provider to ensure smooth sales of tickets and distribution.

AFC launches online tickets sales for AFC Asian Cup

Tickets for AFC’s flagship tournament, the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™, will go on sale from July 25, 2010, AFC announced here on Friday.Fans will be able to purchase their tickets online via AFC’s official website www.the-AFC.com. Major credit cards are accepted.
Asian football fans will be able to choose matches, ticket categories and seat locations within the stadiums. They may also purchase multiple tickets for one match or a group of matches at the same time.The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ will be held in Doha, Qatar from January 7-29 with 16 teams taking part.
The opening match will see host nation Qatar take on Uzbekistan.Iraq won the AFC Asian Cup 2007™ edition after defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final held at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.
--Groups
Group A: Qatar, Kuwait, China PR, Uzbekistan
Group B: Saudi Arabia, Japan, Jordan, Syria
Group C: Korea Republic, India, Australia, Bahrain
Group D: Iraq, DPR Korea, UAE, IR Iran

Distinct web identity for AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011

With the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ Finals Draw (April 23) days away, a dedicated and exclusive section for the tournament has been launched on the official AFC website, which can be accessed directly via http://www.afcasiancup.com/.
The coverage of the draw and the build-up to, and inclusive, of the tournament proper will be unparalleled on this section, offering a broad insight into the 15th edition of the competition, which runs from January 7-29, 2011, in Doha, Qatar.
Competition news will be available for the readers in six languages - English, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Japanese, Russian and Farsi.
The design offers a bold layout that is easy on the eye with a good mix of colours and a variety of visual content, offering complete ease of navigation for the user.
As the tournament date nears, other advanced features like multi-media content, real-time scoring, team profiles, media accreditation information, etc, will be added to enrich the experience of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™.
Social media is an important part of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™’s developing success story and several social media tools are available on the website for the discerning user.
The site is fully optimised for the latest browser versions rolled out by Internet Explorer and Firefox.