The Asian Cup should be shifted to June and played in the same slot as UEFA's Euros, Arsenal and Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu said ahead of the Jan. 12-Feb. 10 continental championship in Qatar.

The players have "a constant feeling of anxiety for their families", Daboub, a former Tunisia coach and player, said by telephone.

Yamashita, who was also selected for the 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar, has been chosen alongside four other women for the regional championship in January-February.

Holders and hosts Qatar will take on China, Tajikistan and Lebanon in the group stages of the Asian Cup finals in January after the draw was conducted in Doha on Thursday.

Qatar will host next year's Asian Cup after China withdrew earlier this year because of Covid, the Asian Football Confederation said on Monday.

Thailand have fired coach Milovan Rajevac following a humiliating 4-1 thrashing by India in their opening Asian Cup game at the weekend.

India was pitted against Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Macau when the draw for the final round of qualifying for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup took place Monday.

East Timor has been expelled from the 2023 Asian Cup for falsifying documents of several Brazilian-born footballers, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Friday.

Lodewijk de Kruif reduces the size of the preliminary squad for the Asian Cup qualifying play-offs to 30 from 36 by releasing five out of the six new faces.

The Dutchman says his familiarity with the players and the conditions here will help him prepare the team for next month's Asian Cup qualifying play-offs against Tajikistan.

Bangladesh wraps up their warm-up campaign for the Joint Qualifiers of the World Cup and the Asian Cup with a 1-1 draw against Afghanistan.