The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ is currently ongoing in Qatar. It started on 12 January 2024 and is slated until 10 February 2024 at 9 stadiums nationwide. The group stages have begun, and the fans are looking forward to seeing some stellar games from some teams and some well-known names in the football scene.
The ILoveQatar.net (ILQ) team has put together a list of players that you should watch out for in the tournament who are predicted to put on great performances. Let's go!
RELATED: All you need to know about AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™
Al Annabi's Akram Afif, the 27-year-old winger, is all set to shine through in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™. He is definitely one of the players who is expected to recreate the magic of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™. Proving this, he scored the first goal for Team Qatar in the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, and also scored the third goal against Team Lebanon in the 90+6' minute, bringing victory to Al Annabi.
Ali Mabkhout is one of the leading players in the United Arab Emirates, and all eyes will be on him to lead the team to the farthest in the tournament. He is currently AFC Asian Cup™'s third joint-highest all-time goalscorer. What are your player predictions for Ali Mabkhout in the current football competition in Qatar?
Son Heung-min, the South Korean and Tottenham Hotspurs superstar, is undoubtedly one of the crowd favourites. He played for Korea Republic in the AFC Asian Cup™ in UAE in 2019, where the country lost to Qatar in the quarter-finals. Although he didn't score any goals for his country during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the expectations are high for him for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™.
The name Oday Dabbagh will be on everyone's minds as Team Palestine looks forward to winning games at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™. He has extensive experience in playing for Palestine, Kuwait, Portugal and Belgium. Although he was benched at the first game of the tournament, fans look forward to seeing him play in the next matches.
Mehdi Taremi is an Iranian striker who has established himself as one of the fan-favourite players in international tournaments. With 9 goals in 24 games in the UEFA Champions League, he holds the title of the most-ever netted player in the competition from Asia. He is widely regarded as one of the prominent forwards in European club football, scoring regularly at domestic and continental levels for Portuguese club FC Porto.
The 39-year-old forward from India is the country's most-capped player and the fourth-highest all-time men’s international goalscorer. He scored his first international hat-trick against Tajikistan at the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup final, which cemented India’s spot for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He is another player fans can look forward to watching in the current tournament in Qatar.
Since 2019, Vietnam has seen several stars burst into the football scene, and Pham Tuan Hai, the 25-year-old winger/forward, is one to watch out for from Team Vietnam. He showed great potential in the AFC Champions League™ 2023-24 group stage and also scored a goal against Japan in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ on 14 January 2024.
Jaliloddin Masharipov is one of the accomplished players from Team Uzbekistan. He has extensive experience playing in Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Greece. He was named Uzbekistan Player of the Year in 2020 before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2021 and switching to Shabab Al Ahli in the UAE on loan. He returned to Al Nassr and made headlines by giving up his No. 7 shirt at Al Nassr following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. He is currently at the Greek club Panserraikos.
Midfielder Alisher Dzhalilov has had many successful wins at the club level winning four Tajik league titles with FC Istiklol as well as the Tajik Cup in 2019 and 2023 and three Tajik Super Cups. He was also named Tajik Player of the Year in 2019 and 2021. Even though Tajikistan lost against China in their debut group-stage match of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, Alisher said, "we will try our best to make our fans happy in the next game".
Saudi Arabia winger Salem Al Dawsari’s stunning goal against Argentina in their group stage opener at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ brought shockwaves amongst fans in the tournament. That spectacular goal has etched his name as one of the best footballers in the continent in recent times and is one to watch out for in this tournament. Will the Green Falcons go on to clinch the title of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™?
Four years after making his AFC Asian Cup™ debut as part of the Oman squad, Jameel Al Yahmadi is seen as a key member of the team in the current squad for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™. The 27-year-old midfielder has some impressive goals to his name. He has been playing for clubs in Qatar since 2018, representing Al Wakrah, Al Shahania, Al Markhiya, and his current club Al Kharaitiyat. Oman faced Saudi Arabia at Khalifa International Stadium on 16 January 2024.
Jordan's 26-year-old- winger, Musa Al Taamari is also known as the ‘The Jordanian Messi’. In Jordan's match against Malaysia at Al Janoub Stadium on 15 January 2024, he scored a penalty goal, adding to the country's win 4-0 in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™. Talking about Jordan's aim for the tournament, he said, “With the team and the coach we have, we're aiming for the semi-finals".
Arif Aiman, the 21-year-old forward, has been labelled a 'genius' by his coach at Johor Darul Ta’zim. He has made over 20 appearances for Malaysia since his debut against Bahrain in May 2021 while qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. This young superstar has scored 8 times and garnered 13 assists for Johor Darul Ta’zim in the Malaysia Super League. He also shone on the international stage by assisting 3 of the 4 goals Malaysia scored in their 4-3 victory over Kyrgyz Republic in the Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 matches.
Takumi Minamino, the midfielder from Japan, is currently starring in France for AS Monaco FC. He was also previously with Liverpool FC. At Japan's opener against Vietnam, on 14 January 2024 at Al Thumama Stadium, he scored 2 goals in the first half of the match against Vietnam. His goals surprised many fans in their opener for the tournament. Will he be able to do the same for Japan in the coming matches?
The 21-year-old forward Ali Al Hamadi currently plays for AFC Wimbledon. His first appearance for Iraq was two years ago against Syria. He scored a goal against India in the 2023 King’s Cup, then registered his first qualifier's goal in a 5-1 win against Indonesia in Basra. Even though he didn't play at the match against Indonesia at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on 15 January 2024, fans are awaiting his play!
Wu Lei has been a standout Team China PR player for many years. Since his debut in 2006, he has scored more than 250 goals since making his senior club debut. He is currently appearing in his third AFC Asian Cup™. Twice a quarter-finalist in the tournament, he aims to go at least one step better this time around in AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™.
Lebanon is set up against Qatar, China PR, and Tajikistan in the groups and will seek goalkeeper Mostafa Matar's help for victory. He currently plays for Lebanese club Al Ahed. His play in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ will be closely watched by fans from all over the world and in the host country, too.
Star striker Omar Khrbin's capabilities will be heavily relied upon by the Syrian team to win matches, as they have not been able to go past the group stage in the tournament so far. Khrbin's brilliance was identified at an early age, and he was picked up by clubs in different countries like Iraq, UAE, etc. Khrbin was also rewarded with the 2017 AFC Player of the Year award, becoming the first, and to date only, Syrian to win it.
Mathew Ryan is the leading man in charge of the Socceroos. After a successful career in Australian professional football, followed by a spell in Belgium with Club Brugge and a move to Valencia and Brighton & Hove Albion, he played 121 times in the Premier League for Brighton. He then moved on to Copenhagen in Denmark and is currently contracted to Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
A player of Riffa SC in Bahrain, Komail Al Aswad has won four Bahraini Premier League titles with the club. He made his debut for Bahrain after the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015™. In 2019, he led Bahrain to win the Gulf Cup in Qatar and the West Asia Football Federation (WAFF) Championships in Iraq. In the 2023 Gulf Cup, he scored Bahrain’s first goal of the tournament. He's one player to watch out for in the squad for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ tournament.
Brazil-born Everton Camargo is spearheading Hong Kong at their first Asian Cup in over 50 years. He has played in clubs like Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong Sapling and Yuen Long. His move to Eastern SC in 2018 saw him get a name for himself as he was part of the team that won the Hong Kong FA Cup and the Hong Kong Senior Shield in 2020. He was also named Hong Kong Player of the Year at the end of that season. His impact on the current tournament is much awaited.
Asnawi Mangkualam is a 24-year-old right-back who became the first Indonesian player to move to Korea Republic in 2021. At the international level, he made his debut for Indonesia in March 2017 against Myanmar, when he became the youngest player to represent Indonesia. He was made captain during the AFF Championship in Singapore in 2021 in the group stage meeting with Vietnam and went on to lead the team to the final, where they lost to Thailand. He has been the Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 captain for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 matches.
Alimardon Shukurov joined the national team in late 2019. He appeared in the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers and soon joined the national squad. Shukurov, then aged 20, scored twice in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022. In 2021, he scored two more international goals against Myanmar and Bangladesh, giving him great international experience. He is currently injured at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ tournament, but the coaching staff are hoping that he will join the country's next matches.
Chanathip Songkrasin led his team to the knockout stages of the AFC Asian Cup™ 2019 for the first time in 47 years. He became the Most Valuable Player of the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Championship in 2014. Two years later, he once again played an important role in helping the team defend their AFF Championship title while also winning his second Southeast Asian Games gold medal in 2015. This gave him the nickname ‘Messi Jay’. The Thai national team relies on many players, led by Chanathip Songkrasin, and hopes are placed on him and his fellow players to perform well in Doha. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation due to injury.
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Source: Asian Football Confederation (AFC), www.transfermarkt.com, QNA
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