2024-01-26T14:49:47+00:00
A-
A
A+
/ With the preparations for the start of the Asian Cup Round of 16 matches, the day after tomorrow, Sunday, with Australia meeting Indonesia, and Tajikistan meeting the Emirates, five players emerged in the group stage and stole the spotlight, four of them from West Asian countries, and more are expected from them in the next round, most notably the Iraqi player Ayman Hussein.
According to a report by Agence France-Presse, the players are:
Ayman Hussein (Iraq)
Iraq have been one of the standout teams so far, and that is largely thanks to Ayman Hussein.
Five goals in three games saw the 27-year-old top the scoring charts, netting twice in Iraq’s 2-1 win over favourites Japan, before the Lions of Mesopotamia finished the group stage with three wins.
The Air Force striker has a massive physique (1.88m) and with his team trailing 1-0 to Vietnam at half-time, he came on as a substitute in the second half, scoring the equaliser and missing a penalty, then showing the audacity to take a second penalty in the 12th minute of stoppage time to give his team a thrilling 3-2 win.
Musab Al-Batat (Palestine)
The Palestine captain has proven to be an inspiration on and off the pitch. The right-back leads the tournament statistics with two assists and eight chances created.
Batata (30 years old) led his country to a 3-0 victory over Hong Kong to achieve its first ever victory in the tournament, as he sent in two perfect crosses that ended with two headed goals.
Battat was also a leader off the pitch, the unofficial spokesman for the team that qualified for the next round for the first time in its history. After achieving this historic achievement, he stressed that the players had fulfilled “the promise we made to the Palestinian people.”
Akram Afif (Qatar)
Striker Afif was one of the stars of Qatar’s 2019 Asian Cup triumph and looks set to follow suit in the tournament his country is hosting.
Afif, 27, scored twice to lead his team to a 3-0 win over Lebanon in the opening match, and was on target again in the hosts’ 1-0 win over Tajikistan.
Afif played professionally in Belgium and Spain earlier in his career, and said he would leave Qatari club Al Sadd to return to Europe if given the opportunity.
Scouts for clubs interested in his services will have noticed his speed, ability to dribble and finish attacks over the past two weeks.
Mehdi Qaedi (Iran)
Qaedi may not have lived up to expectations in the past, but he is back on track after playing a key role for Iran in the group stage.
The 25-year-old winger’s brilliance, which is characterised by his dribbling skills, helped his country top its group with three wins, scoring two wonderful goals in the Asian Cup.
Iran’s strong showing in the group stage makes them strong favourites to win the title in Qatar and Ghaedi’s brilliance could help them claim their first title since 1976.
Lee Kang-in (South Korea)
Korea Republic coach Jurgen Klinsmann made Lee a pivotal player in his squad and the Paris Saint-Germain player has lived up to his coach’s expectations.
Lee, 22, stole the show from captain Heung-Min Son by scoring twice in South Korea’s 3-1 win over Bahrain in the opening match, and forced an own goal against Malaysia from a direct free kick.
South Korea have generally been unconvincing in Qatar and face a tough last-16 clash against Saudi Arabia, but with Lee’s form and ability to threaten from distance, the Taeguk Warriors could end a title drought that has lasted since 1960.