A team of Uzbek referees, led by Askar Najafaliyev, will officiate the AFC Champions League qualification round match for the 2026/27 season between Adelaide United and Cong An Hanoi on August 11th. This was reported by the Football Association of Uzbekistan.
Askar Najafaliyev has been appointed as the head referee for this match. His assistants will be Bakhtiyorhodzhja Shavkatov and Ruslan Serazitdinov, while Abdurashid Khudoyberganov will take the position of the fourth official.
Furthermore, another representative from Uzbekistan, Valentin Kovalenko, has been appointed as the match inspector for another qualification round, which will take place between Gangwon and Gamba Osaka.
The coach of the club Nacional, João Gian, appealed to the players to show competitive persistence in the upcoming Tuesday match against Santa Clara. This match is the opener of the Portuguese I Liga, which takes place on the Azores islands.
At Nacional, Petit has been in charge since February 2026, who is called 'one of the good coaches of our championship' due to 'good results wherever he goes.' Therefore, a very difficult game is expected against a team that has an 'established idea' from last season.
'Santa Clara,' who remained undefeated in the pre-season, accumulating five wins and two draws, looks in better shape compared to Nacional, which won only one of the seven matches played during the preparatory period.
Nevertheless, the main difficulty is related to the 'complex logistics' of flights to the Azores, which will require an overnight trip on Sunday. Furthermore, there is a limited 'sample for decision-making' regarding the opponent, as preparatory games are often held behind closed doors, which does not allow for an 'accurate picture' of the opposing players.
Gian explained: 'One thing is friendly matches, and another is games with emotional load, which this match will have, in an unfavorable context, especially since it is at the opponent's home ground.'
The 'captain' of Alvinegros also eased tensions regarding the departure of Jesus Ramirez, the team's top scorer last season, who moved to Chorum FC from Turkey, which was 'inevitably expected.' He added that the squad could still be supplemented until registration closes.
He admitted: 'We hope to get a few more players, but I do not want to go into detail about this because the market is very volatile, and these are matters concerning the administration.'
For this match, Gian is unlikely to use José Gomes, who suffered a lower rib injury in the last pre-season match against Marítimo, as well as Ulisses Rosho, who is recovering from surgery on his left ankle.
Nacional and Santa Clara, both playing in the national football elite for the third consecutive season, will meet on Tuesday, in the opening round of the championship, at the São Miguel stadium in Ponta Delgada, at 19:15 local time (20:15 Lisbon time), under the refereeing of Hélder Carvalho from the Santarém association.
Following a week of significant changes in Shark Tank, the Sharks team held its Carlin Cup tournament in the center of KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday evening, hosting the Boland team at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu. This match served as a fitting conclusion to a week when Sharks unveiled a new, bold identity, and this will not be the last time the Carlin Cup team travels to new communities in the province.
The game was played before an enthusiastic crowd; stadium entry was free, and the stands were filled with fan songs and barbecue smoke. Home fans also had reason to celebrate as Sharks defeated Boland with a score of 19:12, climbing in the Carlin Cup standings.
The trip to KwaMashu is part of Sharks' commitment to expanding rugby reach beyond the traditional arena at Kings Park and ensuring the team's accessibility to new communities across KwaZulu-Natal. This community initiative coincided with the organization's completion of an important week, during which it introduced an ambitious rebranding on Thursday.
Sharks adopted a fresh image, including a new logo and emblem, as part of a major overhaul aimed at modernizing the brand amid growing competition from leading European clubs in the Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship. These European giants are clubs, not franchises, provinces, or unions, and Sharks has now followed suit. The organization will be known as Sharks Rugby Club (SRC).
The rebranding includes two distinct visual styles. The SRC logo will serve as the club's corporate identity and will be placed on the chest of the playing jersey, while the iconic Sharkie emblem has been updated with a fiercer look.
Sharks owner, Marco Massotti, who grew up in Amanzimtoti on the southern coast of KwaZulu-Natal, stated that the changes are aimed at preparing the organization for the future without losing connection to the past. He emphasized: 'Sharks have never been a club that waits for the game around it to change. We have always believed in helping shape where rugby goes next.'
Massotti insists that this latest development is not a rejection of Sharks' history but a continuation of it. He noted: 'Professional sport has changed. Today, the clubs that thrive are those that are strong not only on the field. They are strong brands that develop communities, attract partners, and create experiences that fans want to be a part of.'
The visit to KwaMashu on Saturday evening served as a reminder that Sharks' future is tied not only to participation in major European competitions but also to bringing the team to the residents of KwaZulu-Natal.
