Articles by Paul Williams

About Paul Williams

Paul Williams is an Adelaide-based football writer who has reported on the comings and goings of Asian football for the past decade. Having covered the past two Asian Cups, he writes regularly about the J.League for Optus Sport in Australia, while he also regularly contributes to Arab News. Further, he has previously been published by outlets such as FOX Sports Asia, Al Jazeera English, FourFourTwo, and appeared on numerous TV and radio shows to discuss Asian football.

Afif and Al-Taamari in final battle for supremacy

February 9, 2024 Paul Williams

When Qatar and Jordan played in a pre-Asian Cup friendly at the start of January – a game Jordan won 2-1 – no one expected that the next time the two team’s would meet would […]

Style or substance? Australia confronts its identity crisis

February 2, 2024 Paul Williams

Not for the first time Australia finds itself battling a crisis of identity; caught between who it is and who it wants to be. On face value Australia has been close to the best performing […]

China’s failure a symptom of a broken system

January 24, 2024 Paul Williams

Chinese football is in trouble. Big trouble. That might seem like stating the bleeding obvious, like boldly claiming that the sky is blue or the grass is green, but it’s worth repeating nonetheless. When it […]

Saudi Arabia’s struggle poses questions for Mancini

January 22, 2024 Paul Williams

The pained look on Roberto Mancini’s face as he shook hands with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Stefan Tarkovic, said it all. The veteran Italian could barely disguise his frustration, perhaps even contempt, at the way his […]

Qatar still trying to shake World Cup demons

January 17, 2024 Paul Williams

Qatar continue their AFC Asian Cup campaign tonight at the Al Bayt Stadium looking to make it two wins from two and secure their place in the knockout rounds. While the architectural wonder, with it’s […]

Silence to Stardom: the story of Malaysia’s Arif Aiman

January 15, 2024 Paul Williams

Arif Aiman has become a goal and assists king for Johor Darul Ta’zim, or JDT as they’re best known, over the past couple of seasons, but it’s one play, for which he won’t be credited […]

OPINION: As Asian Cup begins, the sun sets on Qatar

January 12, 2024 Paul Williams

As the sun rises over Doha’s glorious West Bay to signal the start of the 18th AFC Asian Cup, so does the sun also begin to set on Qatar’s time in the spotlight of international […]

OPINION: Women’s World Cup success makes AFC’s choice an easy one

August 21, 2023 Paul Williams

AFC president Shaikh Salman has been conspicuous by his absence over the past month, invisible at a World Cup hosted in the Confederation of which he is the president, but surely even he wasn’t able […]

Kerr returns as Australia advance to quarter finals

August 7, 2023 Paul Williams

Australia has equalled their best ever performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, defeating Denmark 2-0 to reach the quarter finals in front a record equalling crowd at Stadium Australia. Goals in either half to […]

Australia overcome loss of Kerr to defeat Ireland

July 20, 2023 Paul Williams

Sam Kerr leaping into the air to celebrate a goal was what all of Australia wanted to see at Stadium Australia on Thursday night. What they wouldn’t have anticipated, however, is that she would be […]