Asian Cup, AFCON Scheduling ‘Not Good’ for Players, Says Arsenal’s Tomiyasu 

Football - Premier League - Fulham v Arsenal - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 31, 2023 Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu in action with Fulham's Raul Jimenez. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Fulham v Arsenal - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 31, 2023 Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu in action with Fulham's Raul Jimenez. (Reuters)
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Asian Cup, AFCON Scheduling ‘Not Good’ for Players, Says Arsenal’s Tomiyasu 

Football - Premier League - Fulham v Arsenal - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 31, 2023 Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu in action with Fulham's Raul Jimenez. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Fulham v Arsenal - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 31, 2023 Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu in action with Fulham's Raul Jimenez. (Reuters)

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 last three editions of the tournament have been played in January and February, opening up hosting opportunities for countries from the Middle East where summers often exceed 50 degrees Celsius (122°F), temperatures considered dangerous for football.

Arsenal could be without Tomiyasu for six games, including four Premier League matches, if Japan go all the way to the final in Qatar.

"I want the Asian Cup to be played in June, the same as the Euros," Tomiyasu told the Evening Standard newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.

"I don't know why we are playing in January - not only the Asian Cup but the African Cup of Nations as well. It's not good for the players. But it is what it is and I will really try to come back with the title."

Japan, who are bidding for a record-extending fifth Asian Cup crown, kick off their campaign on Jan. 14 against Vietnam, before taking on Iraq and Indonesia in Group D.



Saka Sparks Arsenal Attack into Life Ahead of Atletico Showdown

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Saka Sparks Arsenal Attack into Life Ahead of Atletico Showdown

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - May 2, 2026 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring their second goal. (Action Images via Reuters)

Bukayo Saka's return from injury has jolted Arsenal's attack back into life just in time for the Gunners to dream of a Premier League and Champions League double.

Saka scored and provided an assist for Viktor Gyokeres as Mikel Arteta's men bagged three goals for the first time in 16 games in Saturday's 3-0 win over Fulham.

All three goals arrived before Saka was withdrawn by Arteta at half-time to protect the England winger, who has been nursing an achilles injury in recent months.

Arteta had one eye on Tuesday's visit by Atletico Madrid, with Arsenal hoping to reach just the second Champions League final in their history.

The clash is evenly poised at 1-1 after a first leg dominated by penalty decisions in the Spanish capital.

Both sides netted from the spot, but Arsenal thought they should have had a second penalty when Eberechi Eze was clipped inside the box.

Saka was involved in that move and his introduction as a substitute helped Arsenal turn the tide to finish the first leg on the front foot.

The 24-year-old was recently handed a new four-year contract, reportedly making him the highest earner at the club.

Saka has struggled to find his best form since a serious hamstring injury ruled him out for three months last season.

Arteta, though, is hoping the attacker is both physically and mentally fresh to end Arsenal's long wait for silverware.

- Difference maker -

Saka's quick feet and deadly delivery left Gyokeres with the simple task of tapping into an empty net to settle the Premier League leaders' nerves early on against Fulham.

The roles were reversed for the second as Saka latched onto the Swede's pass and arrowed a shot into the bottom corner for his 10th goal of an injury-disrupted campaign.

"He certainly made a difference. He made two actions that decided the game and we know what he's capable of," said Arteta.

"He's come back in the most important period of the season and now he's fresh.

"His mind is fresh, his hunger is at the highest possible height and I think he needed a performance like that to impact the team, so that's a big platform for Tuesday."

Robert Pires was part of the only previous Arsenal side to reach the Champions League final, a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in 2006.

The Frenchman's wing play made him a legendary figure in north London for his part in two Premier League titles under Arsene Wenger and he believes Saka can have an inspirational impact on his team-mates.

"He's found his sharpness again, he's brought back his dribbling, his drive," Pires told AFP.

"When you have players like him, capable of making the difference, it already does everyone a lot of good.

"Above all, he pulls the others along, getting them to do, or at least try to do, what he does."

Arsenal's miserly defense, which has conceded just six goals in 13 Champions League games, has carried them to the brink of the final.

Now the onus is on Saka, nicknamed "star-boy" by the club's supporters, to provide the creative spark to take Arsenal to Budapest next month.


Chivu Draws on Playing Days as Inter Seal Serie A Title

Inter Milan's Romanian head coach Cristian Chivu celebrates after winning the 21st "scudetto" following the Italian Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Parma at San Siro stadium in Milan, on May 3, 2026. (AFP)
Inter Milan's Romanian head coach Cristian Chivu celebrates after winning the 21st "scudetto" following the Italian Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Parma at San Siro stadium in Milan, on May 3, 2026. (AFP)
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Chivu Draws on Playing Days as Inter Seal Serie A Title

Inter Milan's Romanian head coach Cristian Chivu celebrates after winning the 21st "scudetto" following the Italian Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Parma at San Siro stadium in Milan, on May 3, 2026. (AFP)
Inter Milan's Romanian head coach Cristian Chivu celebrates after winning the 21st "scudetto" following the Italian Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Parma at San Siro stadium in Milan, on May 3, 2026. (AFP)

Inter Milan coach Cristian ‌Chivu said his own experiences as a player helped him guide the club to a 21st Serie A title after Sunday’s 2-0 home win over Parma left them with an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

The 45-year-old, appointed in June, spent seven seasons at Inter as a player and was part of Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning side in 2010. ‌He took ‌charge after last season’s bitter ‌finish, ⁠when Inter lost ⁠the title on the final day before suffering a 5-0 Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

"I just try to be the best version of myself, to help these lads who sometimes need the carrot, sometimes the stick," ⁠Chivu told DAZN Italia.

"I try to ‌draw on the experience ‌I had in many locker rooms, and try ‌not to repeat the errors I dealt ‌with as a player.

"I try to be empathetic, understanding, not to think about the consensus of critics outside, but only on what those who love ‌me think. I am the coach, I will always be up for ⁠debate and ⁠at risk, that’s the job."

Inter have scored 82 goals this season - 30 more than Napoli - reflecting their aggressive approach under Chivu.

"We always wanted to be proactive, then depending on the opponents, we had different options, like two playmakers," the Romanian manager said.

"It’s also about understanding various moments of the game."

Inter moved to 82 points with three matches left, 12 clear of second-placed Napoli. They travel to Lazio on Saturday.


North Korean Club to Play Rare Football Match in South

North Korean propaganda village "Gijungdong" is seen from an South Korea's observation post inside the JSA during a media tour at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, 03 March 2023. (Reuters)
North Korean propaganda village "Gijungdong" is seen from an South Korea's observation post inside the JSA during a media tour at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, 03 March 2023. (Reuters)
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North Korean Club to Play Rare Football Match in South

North Korean propaganda village "Gijungdong" is seen from an South Korea's observation post inside the JSA during a media tour at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, 03 March 2023. (Reuters)
North Korean propaganda village "Gijungdong" is seen from an South Korea's observation post inside the JSA during a media tour at the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, 03 March 2023. (Reuters)

A North Korean women's football club will become the first sports team from the country to play in South Korea since 2018 when they visit this month, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday.

The neighbors remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and sporting and cultural exchanges between them are very rare.

Naegohyang Women's FC will play the South's Suwon FC Women on May 20 in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League.

The visiting delegation will include 27 players and 12 club staff, the ministry said. South Korea's football association told AFP that the team would arrive on May 17.

They will fly into Incheon airport on an Air China flight from Beijing, a unification ministry official told reporters.

The winner of the match at Suwon Sports Complex, south of the capital Seoul, will play the final of Asia's top women's club competition against either Australia's Melbourne City or Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza on May 23.

"The losing team in the semi-final will return home on Thursday, May 21, with no third-place playoff scheduled," the ministry said in a press release.

The match will be the first time a North Korean sports team has played in the South since shooting, youth football and table tennis delegations travelled there in 2018.

The last time Pyongyang sent a women's football team to the South was in 2014, when the North Korean national team took part at the Asian Games in Incheon.

Founded in 2012 and based in the North Korean capital, much of Naegohyang's squad is "made up of national team-level players", the ministry said.

North Korea's national team is one of the dominant forces in Asian women's football, winning multiple international titles in recent years, especially at youth level.

The most recent one came in November last year, when they defeated the Netherlands 3-0 in the final of the U-17 Women's World Cup.

- Peace overtures -

The announcement comes as Seoul seeks rapprochement with Pyongyang after years of bad blood.

South Korea's dovish President Lee Jae Myung has called for talks with the North without any preconditions, saying the countries are destined "to make the flowers of peace bloom".

The North has not responded to the Lee administration's overtures and has repeatedly labelled the South its "most hostile" adversary.

For Seoul, the match is an opportunity to establish "at least a basic communication channel between North and South Korea", Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at the South's Kyungnam University, said.

"It could become a chance to test peaceful coexistence," he told AFP.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to boost his nuclear forces, and Pyongyang conducted four missile tests in April, the most in a single month for over two years.

Pyongyang has also drawn closer to Russia, sending troops and artillery shells to support its invasion of Ukraine.

Observers say Pyongyang is receiving military technology assistance from Moscow in return.