AFC Asian Cup 2024

AFC Asian Cup

ASIA CUP 2024 GUIDE

The 2023 Asian Cup will be the 18th edition of the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) premier national team tournament, with 24 national teams participating for the second time in history following the expansion for the 2019 Asian Cup.

The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in China. However, on May 13, 2022, the AFC announced that China would not be able to host the tournament due to circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and China's zero-COVID policy. On October 17, 2022, the AFC announced Qatar as the new host of the tournament. Due to high summer temperatures in the Gulf region and Qatar's participation in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the tournament was postponed from January 12 to February 10, 2024.

VENUES AND STADIUMS

QATAR'S EXTRAORDINARY STADIUMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE THE HALL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL, ASIAN CUP

There will be nine venues spread across two cities: Doha and Al Rayyan.

1. Lusails Stadium (80,000 spectators)

2. Khalifa International Stadium (45,857 spectators)

3. Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (45,032 spectators)

4. Al Janoub Stadium (44,325 spectators)

5. Al Bayt Stadium (68,895 spectators)

6. Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (15,000 spectators)

7. Education City Stadium (44,667 spectators)

8. Al Thumama Stadium (44,400 spectators)

9. Abdullah Bin Khalifa (10,000 spectators)

ROUND OF 16To be determined vs. To be determined | January 28, at 8:30 a.m. | Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Rayyan
To be determined vs. To be determined | January 28, 1:00 a.m. | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Rayyan
To be determined vs. To be determined | January 29, at 8:30 a.m. | Khalifa International Stadium, Rayyan
To be determined vs. To be determined | January 29, at 1:00 a.m. | Al Bayt Stadium, Jordan
To be determined vs. To be determined | January 30, 8:30 a.m. | Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
To be determined vs. To be determined | January 30, at 1:00 a.m. | Education City Stadium, Rayán
To be determined vs. To be determined | January 31, 8:30 a.m. | Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
To be determined vs. To be determined | January 31, 1:00 a.m. | Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha

QUARTER FINALSTo be determined vs. To be determined | February 2, at 8:30 a.m. | Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Rayyan
To be determined vs. To be determined | February 2, at 12:30 p.m. | Education City Stadium, Rayán
To be determined vs. To be determined | February 3, at 8:30 a.m. | Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah
To be determined vs. To be determined | February 3, at 12:30 p.m. | Al Bayt Stadium, Jordan

SEMIFINALSTo be determined vs. To be determined | February 6, at 12:00 p.m. | Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Rayyan
To be determined vs. To be determined | February 6, at 12:00 p.m. | Al Thumama Stadium, Doha

ENDTo be determined vs. To be determined | February 10, 12:00 p.m. | Lusail Stadium, Lusail

THE 2024 ASIAN CUP CRACKS (Source: ESPN)

Takefusa Kubo (Japan)

Son Heung-min (South Korea)

Kim Min-jae (South Korea)

Kaoru Mitoma (Japan)

Lee Kang-in (South Korea)

Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan)

Wataru Endo (Japan)

Hwang Hee-chan (South Korea)

Mehdi Taremi (Iran)

Salem Al Dawsari (Saudi Arabia)

The leading candidates for the 2023 Asian Player of the Year award
The goal scorer Mehdi Taremi, the creative Kaouru Mitoma and the great defender Kim Min-Jae

SELECTION BY SELECTION

GROUP A

QATAR

“The Maroons”

FIFA World Ranking: 58

Betting line: +800 to win

DT: Tintin Marquez

Crack: Almoez Ali

Player with the most matches in the squad: Hassan Al-Haydos (176)

Top scorer of the squad: Almoez Ali (50)

It can be said that it is already an experienced team with a World Cup and also a Copa America under its belt, center forward Almoez is once again betting on it.

TAJIKISTAN

“The Coronas

FIFA World Ranking: 106

Betting line: +15000 to win

Coach: Petar Šegrt

Crack: Parvizdzhon Umarbayev

Player with the most matches in the squad: Akhtam Nazarov (55)

Squad scorer: Parvizdzhon Umarbayev (9)

The team's star plays for CSKA Bulgaria, all the others play either in Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, players undoubtedly with little international experience.

LEBANON

“The Cedars”

FIFA World Ranking: 107

Betting line: +20000 to win

Coach: Miodrag Radulović

Crack: Hassan Maatouk

Player with the most matches on the squad: Hassan Maatouk (116)

Top scorer of the squad: Hassan Maatouk (23)

The key player plays in his own country, and there is also a returnee from the English league, the 29-year-old striker Omar Bugiel of Wimbledon.

CHINA

“Dragons”

FIFA World Ranking: 79

Betting line: +3300 to win

Coach: Aleksandar Janković

Crack: Wu Lei

Player with the most matches in the squad: Zhang Linpeng (101)

Top scorer of the team: Wu Lei (32)

The Chinese League has strengthened in recent years, but this hasn't been reflected much in the national team, and the 2002 World Cup, the only time the "Dragons" participated, is a distant memory.

GROUP B

AUSTRALIA

“The Socceroos”

FIFA World Ranking: 25

Betting line: +650 to win

DT: Graham Arnold

Crack: Harry Souttar

Player with the most matches in the squad: Mathew Ryan (86)

Top scorer of the team: Mitchell Duke (12)

The club's star is a defender and plays for Leicester in England. There are many new players in the squad, including veteran Uruguayan Bruno Fornaroli.

INDIA

“The Blue Tigers”

FIFA World Ranking: 102

Betting line: +25000 to win

Coach: Igor Štimac

Crack: Sandesh Jhingan

Player with the most matches in the squad: Sunil Chhetri (145)

Top scorer of the squad: Sunil Chhetri (93)

Another league that has tried to improve but has not had results at the national team level, in the same league the endless Sunil Chhetri continues with 145 matches.

SYRIA

“The Qasioun Eagles”

FIFA World Ranking: 91

Betting line: +7500 to win

Coach: Hector Cuper

Crack: Omar Kharbin

Player with the most matches in the squad: Ibrahim Alma (80)

Top scorer of the team: Omar Khribin (21)

A team with little history but that has improved, has center forward Kharbin as its mainstay and the veteran and experienced Argentine coach Héctor Cúper on the bench.

UZBEKISTAN

“The White Wolves”

FIFA World Ranking: 68

Betting line: +2500 to win

Coach: Srečko Katanec

Crack: Odiljon Hamrobekov

Player with the most matches in the squad: Igor Sergeyev (70)

Top scorer of the team: Igor Sergeyev (18)

Most of the players play in their own country, and the Uzbek national team has appeared in U-20 World Cups, giving interesting performances and not disappointing.

GROUP C

IRAN

“Melli”

FIFA World Ranking: 21

Betting line: +650 to win

Coach: Amir Ghalenoei

Crack: Mehdi Taremi

Player with the most matches in the squad: Ehsan Hajsafi (136)

Top scorer of the squad: Sardar Azmoun (49)

A selection that is a candidate and can surprise, led by the Porto striker: Mehdi Taremi, and Azmoun, a scorer who plays for Roma in Italy, other interesting values: Jahanbaksh, Dutch champion with Feyenoord, Ghoddos, player of Brenfort in England, among others

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

“The Whites”

FIFA World Ranking: 64

Betting line: +2500 to win

Coach: Paulo Bento

Crack: Ali Mabkhout

Player with the most matches in the squad: Ali Mabkhout (114)

Top scorer of the team: Ali Mabkhout (85)

They have shown good football in previous Cups, but they are also a medium-sized team and as such have not had relevant results. Their only qualification to a World Cup was in 1990.

HONG KONG

“The Dragons”

FIFA World Ranking: 150

Betting line: +25000 to win

Coach: Jorn Andersen

Crack: Michael Udebuluzor

Player with the most matches in the squad: Yapp Hung Fai (88)

Top scorer of the squad: Wong Wai and Everton Camargo (4)

Udebuluzor, the national team's star, plays in Germany, one of their scorers is of Brazilian origin, and Hong Kong's participation is an unprecedented surprise. We don't remember any Asian Cup in which they have participated in the final stage.

PALESTINE

“The Lions of Canaan”

FIFA World Ranking: 99

Betting line: +7500 to win

Coach: Makram Daboub

Crack: Oday Dabbagh

Player with the most matches on the roster: Tamer Seyam (59)

Top scorer of the squad: Tamer Seyam (12)

The national team's star player plays for Charleroi in Belgium; the other players have little international experience, something that will surely take its toll in Asia's biggest continental competition.

GROUP D

INDONESIA

“The Red and White”

FIFA World Ranking: 146

Betting line: +25000 to win

DT; Shin Tae-Yong

Crack: Marselino Ferdinan

Player with the most matches in the squad: Pratama Arhan (38)

Top scorer of the team: Witan Sulaeman (9)

A few months ago we saw Indonesia's friendly against the World Cup champions, Argentina. Although the Argentines played at a half-hearted pace, the Indonesians showed a sense of organization and did not disappoint, losing only 2-0. The squad includes some returnees; Marselino Ferdinan himself plays in the Belgian league.

IRAQ

“The Lions of Mesopotamia”

FIFA World Ranking: 63

Betting line: +3300 to win

Coach: Jesús Casas

Crack: Zidane Iqbal

Player with the most matches in the squad: Ali Adnan (91)

Top scorer of the squad: Mohanad Ali (18)

The Iraqis are a tough team that, without being favorites, makes things difficult for any opponent, even managing to win an Asian Cup. Ali Adnan, the most experienced, is an old acquaintance of those of us who follow world football.

VIETNAM

“The Golden Warriors”

FIFA World Ranking: 94

Betting line: +10000 to win

Coach: Philippe Troussier

Crack: Nguyen Quang Hai

Player with the most matches on the squad: Nguyen Van Toan (57)

Top scorer of the team: Nguyen Quang Hai (10)

A team that is growing, they have managed to reach a youth World Cup for the first time, but the senior team is still a few steps below, and the players also don't have much international experience.

JAPAN

“Blue Samurai”

FIFA World Ranking: 17

Betting line: +140 to win

Coach: Hajime Moriyasu

Crack: Kaoru Mitoma

Player with the most matches on the squad: Wataru Endo (55)

Top scorer of the squad: Takumi Minamino (18)

Another strong contender with many players in European football and playing for top teams, the "Samurais" are sure to delight the football public with their fine play and the great speed they always display.

GROUP E

SOUTH KOREA

“The Taegeuk Warriors”

FIFA World Ranking: 23

Betting line: +450 to win

Coach: Jürgen Klinsmann

Crack: Son Heung-Min

Player with the most matches in the squad: Son Heung-min (41)

Top scorer of the squad: Son Heung-min (117)

Another strong team, they didn't have a particularly good World Cup, advancing to the next round but being thrashed in the Round of 16. Jurgen Klinsmann, a long-time coach and former player, remains on the bench. The idol, a Tottenham player, remains the biggest highlight. Korea is also among the favorites to win the Asian Cup.

JORDAN

“The Gentlemen”

FIFA World Ranking: 87

Betting line: +7500 to win

DT: Hussein Ammouta

Crack: Musa Al-Taamari

Player with the most matches in the squad: Hamza Al-Dardour (121)

Top scorer of the squad: Hamza Al-Dardour (35)

The most important player, Al Taamari, plays for Montpellier in France. The Jordanians arrive to compete without much hope of continuing their evolutionary process that led them to a World Cup playoff against Uruguay in 2013.

Bahrain

“Muharabi Dilmun”

FIFA World Ranking: 86

Betting line: +10000 to win

Coach: Juan Antonio Pizzi

Crack: Abdulla Yusuf Helal

Player with the most matches in the squad: Sayed Mohammed Jaffer (161)

Top scorer of the squad: Mohamed Marhoon (14)

The main player plays in Czech football, Bahrain is perhaps one of the weakest among the Arab national teams, and will be managed this time by the well-known Spanish-Argentine Juan Antonio Pizzi.

MALAYSIA

“The Tigers of Malaysia”

FIFA World Ranking: 130

Betting line: +20000 to win

DT: Kim Pan-Gon

Crack: Arif Aiman

Player with the most matches in the squad: Safawi Rasid (58)

Top scorer of the squad: Safawi Rasid (20)

The East Asian "Tigers" arrive to add new continental experience. The country is trying, as it has for many years, to progress in football, but the results are still lacking and don't seem to be too close either.

GROUP F

SAUDI ARABIA

“The Green Hawks”

FIFA World Ranking: 56

Betting line: +700 to win

Coach: Roberto Mancini

Crack: Saud Abdulhamid

Player with the most matches in the squad: Salem Al-Dawsari (79)

Top scorer of the squad: Salem Al-Dawsari (22)

Considering that they were the only team to beat the world champion Argentina in the last World Cup, we can say that the Arabs are also strong contenders to win the Asian Cup. They play a good game and have no problem if they need to play hard. Watch out for the "greens."

The Saudi Arabian Football League has been one of the fastest-growing in 2023, filling up with world football stars.

THAILAND

“The War Elephants”

FIFA World Ranking: 113

Betting line: +15000 to win

DT: Masatada Ishii

Crack: Supachok Sarachat

Player with the most matches in the squad: Theerathon Bunmathan (7)

Top scorers of the squad: Theerathon Bunmathan and Supachok Sarachat (7)

Reviewing the Thai roster, we can see that most of the players play in the local league, while the team's star player plays in the Japanese league. Thailand, like other East Asian countries, only comes here to gain experience to improve their qualifying performance and, thus, to further their dreams.

KYRGYZSTAN

“The White Hawks”

FIFA World Ranking: 98

Betting line: +20000 to win

Coach: Stefan Tarkovič

Crack: Joel Kojo

Player with the most matches in the squad: Kayrat Zhyrgalbek uulu (65)

Squad scorer: Alimardon Shukurov (5)

The team's star player is of African origin and plays in the neighboring Uzbekistan league. The Kyrgyz team has already achieved its goal: reaching the final phase of an Asian Cup, and from there, anything else is a profit.

OMAN

“Reds”

FIFA World Ranking: 74

Betting line: +5000 to win

Coach: Branko Ivanković

Crack: Jameel Al-Yahmadi

Player with the most matches in the squad: Harib Al-Saadi (78)

Squad Scorer: Salaah Al-Yahyaei, Muhsen Al-Ghassani and Issam Al-Sabhi (8)

Another team that will be competing in the continental tournament, the Omanis have had some international friendlies in which they did not disappoint, such as when they faced Germany. Beyond that, we don't see them going far in the tournament.