Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Asian Cup has showcased the Continent’s greatest players over the years, with many making their name in the competition. Next in our '10 of the Best' series, we feature talents who will arrive in the United Arab Emirates full of promise as they get set to make their tournament bow.
Four years ago in Australia, Massimo Luongo was the pick of the bunch as the Socceroo was voted the MVP, while a 20-year-old Sardar Azmoun was twice on the scoresheet for the Islamic Republic of Iran. As the 2019 edition rapidly approaches, here’s a list of 10 more youngsters to keep an eye out for.
www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_asian_cup/photo/10_of_the_best_young_stars.html
10 of the Best: Young Stars
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: As the 24 teams battle for the Continental crown in January, goals will be the most valuable currency. The-AFC.com kicks off our weekly Asian Cup UAE 2019 series '10 of the Best' with a look at 10 target men whose nations will rely on to deliver the goals.
UAE's Ali Mabkhout nipped the top scorer award in 2015 with five goals. But with the tournament expanded from 16 to 24 teams this time around, the goals race is set to be even more heated. Here are a selection of leading candidates who could take the mantle from the Emirati this January.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tokyo: The stunning new AFC Asian Cup trophy landed in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday for the final leg of its tour and will be showcased at the TV Asahi Building Tokyo, Lobby Atrium from December 15-16, before making its way via Emirates Airlines to host city Dubai in the UAE on December 19, 2018.
The new silverware, which was unveiled during the glittering AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Final Draw at the Burj Khalifa in May this year, began its epic journey in China PR, finding its way to Korea Republic’s capital, Seoul, before landing in Doha, Qatar last week.
In keeping with the tournament’s ever-growing prestige and stature, the AFC decided to commission a new trophy for the first time since the inaugural edition in 1956. Produced by a world-renowned silversmith in London, the new trophy is revolutionary in design and communicates the powerful spirit of football’s second oldest continental competition.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: When the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 gets underway next month there will be more than 550 players hoping to have a celebration as the final concludes on February 1, but before that there are plenty amongst that number who will be having a smaller party of their own given that their birthday falls during the four-week extravaganza.
22 of the 24 participating nations will likely have a birthday boy amongst their ranks, with 2007 winners Iraq heading the list given they could potentially have seven players set to blow out the candles should they progress to at least the quarter-finals.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Already a legend at club level with Shanghai SIPG, 27-year-old Wu Lei is looking to emulate his goal-scoring exploits in China PR colours at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 in January.
Although he has never played his club football abroad, Wu Lei is widely regarded as one of the top players to have emerged from China PR over the past decade. His two nominations of the AFC Player of the Year award - he finished third in both 2016 and 2017 - are testament to his status in Asian football.
Nationality: China PR
Date of birth: 19/11/1991
Position: Winger
Current club: Shanghai SIPG
Previous clubs: None
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: With the biggest and best AFC Asian Cup less than one month away, passionate fans from across the Continent and beyond have confirmed the Team Bus slogans for the 24 participating teams.
After shortlisting the thousands of entries in phase one, each nation was then given a selection of three catchphrases to choose from in the second phase, which ended on November 1, 2018.
The month-long contest, which was launched to give football fans the opportunity to showcase their passion and be a part of the continental showpiece, was a major hit on social media with the second phase receiving over 105,000 votes across the AFC’s digital platforms.
Islamic Republic of Iran led the Continent in engagement numbers, garnering over 25,000 votes, with the winning slogan – Eighty Million People, One Nation, One Heartbeat – securing over 11,000 votes.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tehran: Ali Daei believes that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Japan are the most likely contenders to reach the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 final, with the continental competition now less than four weeks away.
The Iranian legend is the tournament’s record goalscorer, having found the back of the net 14 times over three editions, yet the former striker never lifted the trophy for his country, whose wait for the title stretches back to 1976.
But on the back of a strong 2018 FIFA World Cup and with head coach Carlos Queiroz having been in charge for almost eight years, Daei thinks the time could be now for Team Melli, although it is the side from East Asia he considers as favourites.