Player to Watch: Oday Dabbagh (Palestine)

Tue, 19 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Oday Dabbagh (Palestine)

Kuala Lumpur:  Within eight years of making his professional debut with his hometown club Hilal Alquds, Oday Dabbagh has already written his name in the conversation for the honour of Palestine’s greatest-ever footballing product.

Just like Jordan’s Musa Al Taamari, Dabbagh went from scoring goals in the AFC Cup™ to playing in top European leagues and carrying the hopes of his nation ahead of the AFC Asian Cup™ Qatar 2023.

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Join the Excitement: Celebrate AFC Asian Cup™'s Magical Moments!

Mon, 18 Dec, 2023

Join the Excitement: Celebrate AFC Asian Cup™'s Magical Moments!

Kuala Lumpur: As the countdown to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ ticks away with just under 26 days left, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) invites football enthusiasts to partake in the exhilarating Magic Moments Bracket Challenge Contest presented by Visit Saudi. 

Unfolding across four gripping rounds starting on 18 December 2023, this contest invites fans to relive the glory of Asian Cup history by voting for their most cherished moments. In each round, fans engage in head-to-head matchups, casting votes for their favorite moments, with the winning magic moment progressing to the next stage. 

Test Your Knowledge - Round 10

Sun, 17 Dec, 2023

Test Your Knowledge - Round 10

Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Asian Cup™ quiz turns its focus on to the players - past and present - with more challenging questions about the continent's premier national team tournament.

Try it out to see how well versed you - the fans - are as the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ rapidly approaches.

Player to Watch: Jameel Al Yahmadi (Oman)

Mon, 18 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Jameel Al Yahmadi (Oman)

Kuala Lumpur: Four years after making his AFC Asian Cup™ debut as part of the Oman squad that reached the Round of 16 in the UAE, Jameel Al Yahmadi returns as a key member of the team, now that he is in the peak years of his career.

Al Yahmadi broke into the forefront of Omani football as a 20-year-old when the nation hosted the 2017 CISM World Football Cup. He was the standout performer as Oman reached the final and he scored one of the penalties in the shootout win over Qatar to bring home the title for the first time in Oman’s history.
 
Since then, the midfielder, plying his trade at domestic minnows Al Shabab at the time, chose a different path than that typical for Omani players, opting to move to Qatar where he has been playing since 2018, representing the likes of Al Wakrah, Al Shahania and Al Markhiya, before moving to his current club Al Kharaitiyat.

Player to Watch: Arif Aiman (Malaysia)

Fri, 15 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Arif Aiman (Malaysia)

Kuala Lumpur: At the tender age of 21, exciting Malaysian winger Arif Aiman Hanapi is already establishing himself as one of the rising stars of Southeast Asian football.

He has been labelled a “genius” by his coach at Johor Darul Ta’zim, Esteban Solari, with his trickery on the right proving to be a devastating weapon for both club and country as he has shone domestically and on the international stage.

Player to Watch: Mostafa Matar (Lebanon)

Sat, 16 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Mostafa Matar (Lebanon)

Kuala Lumpur: As Lebanon face a difficult AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ group where they are pitted against the hosts as well as China PR and Tajikistan, the exceptional abilities of goalkeeper Mostafa Matar will be vital for any chances of success.

Despite being part of the squad that participated in the previous edition in the UAE, Matar’s debut only came a few months after the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019™, starting between the sticks in a 2019 WAFF Championships encounter against Yemen. Since then, he has not looked back, establishing himself as the undisputed starting goalkeeper for the Cedars.
 
So good were Matar’s performances for his previous club Salam Zgharta and the national team that 2019 AFC Cup™ winners Al Ahed made him the most expensive domestic transfer in Lebanese football at the time, as he joined the Beirut club in 2020 to start a new chapter in his career.

Player to Watch: Alimardon Shukurov (Kyrgyz Republic)

Fri, 15 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Alimardon Shukurov (Kyrgyz Republic)

Kuala Lumpur: Having first qualified for the AFC Asian Cup™ in 2019, Kyrgyz Republic will once again participate in the upcoming edition with Alimardon Shukurov a vital cog in their midfield.

Since bursting onto the national team scene in late 2019, the 24-year-old midfielder’s upward trajectory continues and he is now all set to appear in Qatar in just under a month.

Player to Watch: Son Heung-min (Korea Republic)

Thu, 14 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Son Heung-min (Korea Republic)

Kuala Lumpur: Son Heung-min will line-up in Qatar for his fourth crack at leading Korea Republic to their first AFC Asian Cup™ title since 1960 in some of the best form of his career.

The 31-year-old returns to the scene of his first appearance at the continental championship and to where he scored his first goal in his nation’s colours, after coming off the bench to strike in a 4-1 group stage win over India back in 2011.
 
That campaign ended at the semi-final stage for the Koreans and while the nation’s continental drought has continued, Son has flourished to become one of Asian football’s best known faces.

Player to Watch: Musa Al Taamari (Jordan)

Wed, 13 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Musa Al Taamari (Jordan)

Kuala Lumpur: Five years ago, Musa Al Taamari was making his first steps in the AFC Cup™ on loan at Jordanian club Al Jazira. Today he has already broken all sorts of records to stake a claim for being the greatest player his country has ever produced.

As Jordan dream of surpassing their best-ever AFC Asian Cup™ result - quarter-final finishes in 2004 and 2011 - the hopes of the nation rest on the shoulders of their 26-year-old mercurial winger Al Taamari, a man nicknamed by many as ‘The Jordanian Messi’.
 
The unlimited ambition of the Amman-born player has seen him climb new heights season after season since making his senior debut for Shabab Al Ordon and Jordan in 2016. His six AFC Cup goals at Al Jazeera helped the Jordanian side reach the West Zonal Final for the first time in their history in the 2018 edition, and soon after he was on his way to start a European adventure that has seen him play in three countries so far.

Player to Watch: Takefusa Kubo (Japan)

Tue, 12 Dec, 2023

Player to Watch: Takefusa Kubo (Japan)

Kuala Lumpur: Takefusa Kubo burst onto the global football scene with bags of potential and the 22-year-old Japanese winger has been truly delivering on that promise in recent times. 

After guiding Real Sociedad to a fourth-place finish in La Liga and helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League during his debut campaign, Kubo has maintained his fine form for the Basque club by weighing in with goals and assists in the Spanish top flight so far this season. 
 
Kubo's impressive numbers will be music to the ears of Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu as the Samurai Blue look to go one step further at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ after finishing as runners-up at the 2019 edition.