Sports
Qatar, Iran, Others Break 15 Records at 2023 AFC Asia Cup
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The just-concluded 18th AFC Asia Cup hosted and won by Qatar saw the shattering of 15 records, data from InsideSport revealed.
The competition attracted players from across the top leagues of the globe sweating it out for their different participating countries.
During the tournament, Qatar’s Hassan Al-Haydos became only the second player to ever win the AFC Asian Cup as a captain on two separate occasions, while Akram Afif (Qatar) tied Ali Daei (Iran) as the player with the second most goals scored in one AFC Asian Cup tournament – 8.
Additionally, Qatar joined South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Japan as the only defending champions that won, and they also became the 7th nation to win during their hosting year.
Iran also extended its record for the most overall matches won, while China extended its “record” for the most matches lost.
Below is the full list of 15 records that were broken at the competition.
Players
Hassan Al-Haydos (Qatar) joined Ali Parvin (Iran) as the only player to win the AFC Asian Cup twice as a captain – Parvin did so in 1972 and 1976, and Al-Haydos achieved it once again after first winning as Qatar’s captain in 2019.
Almoez Ali (Qatar), Akram Afif (Qatar) and Sardar Azmoun (Iran) all climbed up in the rankings of the most successful goal scorers in the AFC Asian Cups history – Ali went from tied 3rd place to 2nd place after scoring 2 goals in this year’s tournament, bringing his total to 11 – he is now second only to Ali Daei (14 goals in total); Afif jumped up to the 4th place after scoring 8 goals, bringing his total to 9, while Azmoun moved up from 12th place to 7th after scoring 2 goals this year, bringing his total to 8 goals.
Akram Afif (Qatar) tied Ali Daei (Iran) as the player with the second most goals scored in one AFC Asian Cup tournament – 8 (they are second only to Qatar’s Almoez Ali who scored 9 in 2019).
6 players joined a group of 20 other players who have appeared in AFC Asian Cup tournaments 4 or more times: Hassan Al-Haydos (Qatar), Saad Al-Sheeb (Qatar), Ehsan Hajsafi (Iran), Karim Ansarifard (Iran), Son Heung-min (South Korea), Zhang Linpeng (China).
Qatar
Qatar became the 7th host that won during its hosting year – Qatar also became the first one to do so on their second try (they were the host also in 1988 but they finished in the group stages).
Qatar joined South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Japan as a winning defending champion.
Iran
Iran extended its record as the nation with the most matches played – before this year, they had played 68 matches at the AFC Asian Cup, and they played an additional 6 matches this tournament, bringing their total to 74.
Iran also extended its record as the nation with the most matches won – before this year, they had won 41 times, and they won 4 matches during this year’s tournament, bringing their total to 45.
Iran extended its record as the nation with the most overall points gained during the AFC Asian Cup matches (points counted for wins, losses & draws) -as of now, they have 155 points, which is 22 more than the nation in second place, South Korea.
After a draw with Syria, Iran extended its record as the nation with the most matches ending up in a draw – in total, they have ended up in a draw 20 times.
Iran extended its record as the nation with the most bronze medals (this is their 6th).
China
After losing to Qatar, China extended its record as the nation with the most overall matches lost – they have lost 21 times.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the ongoing WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The defending champions bounced back from their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi with a crucial 1-0 victory over Zambia and will now be aiming to finish the group stage strongly. All the matches of the tournament air live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
The final matchday of Group A saw hosts Morocco play out a goalless draw with Senegal, a result that was enough to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals in first position in their group. Algeria also secured their place in the knockout stages after a 2-0 victory over Kenya, bringing their group-stage campaign to a strong close.
Tuesday, Group B will conclude with Burkina Faso facing South Africa before Tanzania takes on Ivory Coast. South Africa and Ivory Coast played out a 2-2 draw in their previous match, while Burkina Faso bounced back from their opening defeat with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. With the group still to be decided, the final results will determine which teams join the quarter-final line-up.
All eyes will then turn to Group C on Wednesday, where Egypt will face Nigeria, and Malawi will take on Zambia, with both matches kicking off at 9:00 pm. The Super Falcons will be hoping to build on their victory over Zambia and secure the result they need to advance to the knockout stages, while Egypt will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in their previous game.
Nigeria’s final group match comes after a difficult start to their title defence. The Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by Malawi in their opening game but responded with a 1-0 victory over Zambia to revive their campaign. The ten-time champions will now need to complete the job against Egypt as they look to keep their hopes of retaining the continental crown alive.
The final group-stage fixtures on Thursday will see Ghana take on Mali, and Cape Verde face Cameroon on Thursday, with both matches also scheduled for 9:00 pm. Ghana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing, while Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. The final results will determine which teams progress to the knockout stages from Group D.
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 9:00 pm
Tanzania vs Ivory Coast – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt vs Nigeria – 9:00 pm
Malawi vs Zambia – 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 6
Cape Verde vs Cameroon – 9:00 pm
Mali vs Ghana – 9:00 pm
SuperSport Brings All the Live Action
Catch every match of WAFCON Morocco 2026 live on SS Football (Ch. 202, GOtv Ch. 61) and SS Football Plus (DStv Ch. 202) on DStv and GOtv. Fans can also stream every match live on DStv Stream from ₦6,000, with no decoder or dish required.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
The start of a football season always tricks people a little. Everything looks fresh. New shirts, new signings, clean tables, confident managers, fans talking themselves into hope again. Then the first few matches arrive, and half the predictions start wobbling. That is what makes early-season betting interesting. It is not tidy yet. Manchester City may still be Manchester City, but that does not mean they are sharp from the first whistle. Arsenal might look strong on paper and still need time to settle. Chelsea can have another summer full of noise and still leave bettors guessing. Real Madrid might have the stars, but even stars need minutes together. The first weeks are not about certainty. They are about spotting who is ready before the market fully catches up.
New Signings Need Time
Transfer excitement can make people rush. A new striker arrives at Arsenal and suddenly every goals market feels tempting. Manchester United sign a defender and people start talking about clean sheets. Chelsea add another expensive player and the same old question comes back: does this actually fix the team, or just add another name? Sometimes a signing changes everything quickly. More often, there is an awkward stage first. A forward needs to learn where the passes come from. A midfielder needs to understand the press. A centre-back needs to build trust with the goalkeeper and full-backs. That is why early-season betting after the Betway app download should not treat a new signing like a finished answer. The name matters, but the fit matters more.
World Cup Legs Will Matter
This season also carries the weight of the World Cup. Some players will come back flying. Some will come back flat. Some may start the season with managed minutes because their clubs cannot afford to burn them out early. That can change player markets fast. A bettor looking through the betway app before a weekend card should not only check the famous names in the lineup. Look at who played deep into the World Cup, who missed pre-season, who came back late, and who is being protected by the manager. A star on the pitch is not always a star at full speed.
Early Tables Can Lie
The first league table always looks more dramatic than it is. One big club drops points, and everyone starts asking if there is a crisis. One promoted side wins at home, and suddenly people talk about momentum. A striker scores twice, and the golden boot conversations begin before anyone has really learned anything. That noise can be useful, but only if bettors do not get swallowed by it. Early results need context. Did the team actually play well, or just finish two chances? Did they control the game, or survive pressure? Was the opponent missing key players? Did the manager rotate because of fitness?
Patience Beats The Big Prediction
The new season will settle. The strong teams will usually rise, the weaker squads will get exposed, and the table will start to make more sense. But the opening weeks are different. They are full of strange fitness levels, overhyped signings, tired stars and teams that are still trying to remember what they are meant to be. That is why betting on the upcoming season should start slowly. Do not fall in love with last season’s form. Do not trust every transfer story. Do not assume every World Cup star is ready to carry club football straight away. The value is often hiding in the messy part, before everyone else agrees what the season really looks like.
