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List of AFC national association football teams by nickname

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The following is a list of nicknames of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) national association football teams.

Nicknames

[edit]
  • Nicknames in italics are commonly used in English.

Men's

[edit]
Team Nickname English translation Notes Ref.
 Afghanistan شیر های خراسان
Širhâi Khorasan 		The Lions of Khorasan Afghanistan in general and the Khorasan region in particular is referred to as the "Land of Lions". [1]
 Australia Socceroos Blend word formed by "Soccer" and "Kangaroos". [2]
 Bahrain الذئب الأحمر Men in Red Red is one of the national colours of Bahrain. [3]
 Bangladesh Bengal Tigers The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh. [4]
 Bhutan Dragon Boys Referring to the "Thunder Dragon", known locally as the "Druk", a national symbol of Bhutan. [5]
 Brunei Tebuan The Wasps/Hornets Referring to the team's yellow and black kits, which are also the colours of the flag of Brunei. [3]
 Cambodia អ្នកចម្បាំងអង្គរ Angkor Warriors Angkor was the capital city of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. It was also one of the world's early megacities. [3][6]
គោព្រៃកម្ពុជា Koupreys of Cambodia The kouprey is a little-known wild bovine species that resides mainly in the forests of Cambodia. [7][non-primary source needed]
 China 龍之隊 Dragon Team The dragon is an important symbol of Chinese culture. [8]
中國隊 Team China [3]
 Chinese Taipei 藍翼軍團 Blue Wings Referring to Taiwan's blue home kit, as well as the Taiwan blue magpie which is present on the Chinese Taipei Football Association logo. [9]
 Guam Matao The Noblemen "Matao" is the Chamorro word for nobility. [10]
 Hong Kong 勁揪 The Strength A popular slang term in Hong Kong which translated means "strong, powerful and/or sturdy" [3]
蛟龍 The Dragons The dragon is an important symbol in Chinese culture and is also used by Hong Kongers to show their pride.
 India The Blue Tigers The colour blue, present on the Ashoka Chakra symbol on India's flag, as well as the Bengal tiger are national symbols of India. [3]
 Indonesia Merah Putih The Red and Whites Referring to the Indonesian flag. [3]
Garuda The Garuda, a mythical bird, is a national symbol of Indonesia. [3]
Tim Garuda Team Garuda
Penggawa Garuda Garuda Guardians
 Iran تیم ملی
Team Melli 		The National Team Literally meaning "the national team" in Persian. [2]
یوز های آسیایی Cheetahs of Asia Refers to the Asiatic cheetah native to Iran. [11]
 Iraq اسود الرافدين
Usood Al-Rafidain 		Lions of Mesopotamia Found in the ancient Arabian Peninsula, the Asiatic lion, otherwise known as the Mesopotamian lion, has great significance in Arab and Islamic culture. [12]
 Japan サムライ・ブルー Samurai Blue The samurai is a well-known symbol of Japan, while the Japanese national team's colours are predominantly blue. [13][14]
 Jordan النشامى
An-Nashama 		The Chivalrous Ones "An-Nashama" means "The Chivalrous Ones" in Arabic. [15]
 Kuwait الأزرق
Al-Azraq 		The Blues Blue is the color of the Kuwaiti national team's kits. [3]
 Kyrgyzstan Ак шумкарлар White Falcons Falconry is an ancient trademark of the Kyrgyz nomads that roamed the steppes of Central Asia. [16]
 Laos ທິມຊາດ
Thim Xad 		The National Team "Thim Xad" literally means "The National Team" in Lao. [3]
ລ້ານຊ້າງ
Lan Xang 		Million Elephants Laos is known as the "Land of a Million Elephants", referring to both the importance of elephants in Laotian culture and the Kingdom of Lan Xang, the first united Laotian state and one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asian history. [3]
 Lebanon رجال الأرز The Cedars The cedar is an important national symbol of Lebanon and appears on the country's flag. [17][18]
 Macau A Equipa Verde The Green Team Green is the color of the flag of Macau. [3]
 Malaysia Harimau Malaya Malayan Tigers The Malayan tiger is the national animal of Malaysia. [19]
 Maldives Red Snappers The red snapper is a species of fish usually seen in the Maldives. [20]
 Mongolia Xөx чононууд
Khökh Chononuud 		Blue Wolves Mongolia is known as the "Land of the Eternal Blue Sky". A species of wolf is native to the country. [3]
 Myanmar Chinthe The Chinthe is a mythical lion, regularly seen outside pagodas in Myanmar. It is considered an important cultural and national symbol of the country. [21]
   Nepal The Gorkhali A national symbol of Nepal, the Gurkhas represent chivalry and courage. [3]
 North Korea 천리마 Chollima The Chollima is a mythical horse and a national symbol of North Korea. [13]
 Oman الأحمر The Reds Referring to the Omani team's red kits. [3]
سامبا الخليج Gulf Samba [22]
 Pakistan شاہین
Shaheen 		The Falcons [23]
 Palestine الفدائيون
Fedayeen 		Freedom Fighters Referring to the Palestinian fedayeen. [24]
 Philippines Azkals Stylised form of "askal", a Tagalog slang for a stray or mixed-breed dog. The nickname, adopted in the 2010s, represents tenacity and resilience and is also a reference to the mixed heritage of many Filipino players. [25][26]
 Qatar العنابي The Maroons From the national flag of Qatar. [3]
 Saudi Arabia الصقور العربية
الصقور الخضر 		Arabian Falcons
The Green Falcons 		Falconry is an important aspect of Arab culture, as well as the Bedouins that came before them. The colour green comes from the Saudi flag. [2]
الأخضر The Green Men [27]
 Singapore The Lions "Singapore" means "Lion City" in Sanskrit. [3]
 South Korea 붉은 악마 Red Devils The Taegeuk on the South Korean flag represents the balance of yin and yang, while the tiger is a symbol of bravery and strength. [2]
태극 전사 Taegeuk Warriors [13]
아시아의 호랑이 Asian Tigers [3]
 Sri Lanka Golden Lions Derived from the lion symbol on the Sri Lankan flag. [3]
 Syria نسور قاسيون Qasioun Eagles Mount Qasioun is a mountain overlooking the city of Damascus [28]
 Tajikistan Шерҳои Форсӣ Persian Lions The ancient Persian symbol of the Lion comprises two images – a lion and the sun. The lion represents divinity, royalty and the mighty lineage of the kings. [29]
Тими мунтахаб The National Team [3]
 Thailand ช้างศึก War Elephants The elephant is an important symbol in Thai culture. [30]
 East Timor O Sol Nascente The Rising Sun Timor Leste is known as the land of the rising sun. [3]
The Little Samba Nation East Timor was dubbed "The Little Samba Nation" for its use of naturalised Brazilians in its national team. [3]
Lafaek The Crocodiles Crocodiles are revered in East Timor, where they are honoured with shrines across the country. [3]
 Turkmenistan Aхал-теке Akhal-Teke The Akhal-Teke is the national emblem of Turkmenistan. [3]
 United Arab Emirates عيال زايد Sons of Zayed Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the founding father of the United Arab Emirates. [31]
الصقور The Eagles The Arab Eagle is displayed on the emblem of the UAE. [3]
 Uzbekistan Oq boʻrilar White Wolves The grey wolf is a national symbol of Uzbekistan. [32]
 Vietnam Những Chiến Binh Sao Vàng Golden Star Warriors Derived from the "golden star" on the Vietnamese flag. [33][34]
 Yemen اليمن السعيد The Happy Yemen Ancient historians refer to Yemen as "Arabia Felix", meaning "Happy" or "Fortunate Arabia" in Latin. In a country torn apart by civil war, happiness is also what Yemenis hope their national team will bring after every win. [3]

Women's

[edit]
Team Nickname English translation Notes Ref.
 Australia Matildas From the Australian folk song "Waltzing Matilda". [35]
 China 铿锵玫瑰 The Steel Roses In the 1999 World Cup final match, the Chinese team lost to the United States on penalties. After that loss, the Chinese team was nicknamed "Steel Roses" by their fans. [36]
 Chinese Taipei 木蘭女足 Team Mulan This nickname was given by General Zheng Weiyuan, chairman of the CTFA in 1977, in praise of the folk heroine Mulan. [37]
 India The Blue Tigresses The colour blue, present on the Ashoka Chakra symbol on India's flag, as well as the Bengal tiger are national symbols of India. [3]
 Indonesia Garuda Pertiwi Garuda Prithvi Prithvi is the national personification of Indonesia and often given as a nickname of women's national team of Indonesia in every sport. Garuda is national symbol of Indonesia. [38]
 Japan なでしこジャパン Nadeshiko Japan "Nadeshiko" is a floral metaphor, representing the characteristics of an ideal Japanese woman. [14]
 Lebanon صبايا الأرز The Lady Cedars The cedar is an important national symbol of Lebanon and appears on the country's flag flag. [39][40]
 Philippines Malditas Feisty Ladies The nickname was adopted in 2005 under the tutelage of coach Ernest Nierras. It is meant to reflect the team's gutsy and feisty nature. "Maldita" in Filipino slang could alternatively mean "bratty" hence coach Marlon Maro in 2021 proposed the discontinue the usage of the nickname. [41][42][43]
Filipinas Filipino women Nickname officially adopted by the federation in March 2022 to replace Malditas. [44]
 South Korea 태극 낭자 Taegeuk Ladies The Taegeuk is an important national symbol of South Korea.
 Thailand ชบาแก้ว Chaba Kaew Referring to the female elephant character in Khan Kluay. [45]
 Vietnam Những Nữ Chiến Binh Sao Vàng Golden Star Warriors Derived from the "golden star" on Vietnam's flag. [46][47]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ a b c d "World Cup '06: Team Nickname Guide". The New York Times. 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Football (Soccer) Team Nicknames". Topendsports.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Bengal Tigers show their teeth". FIFA. 2 April 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Know Your Rivals: Bhutan National Football Team | Goal.com". Goal. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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