Countdown to AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 gathers pace
Doha: With just under 30 days to go before the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 kicks off, the 24 teams are finalising their preparations for the continent’s premier national team tournament.
Hosts Qatar and Lebanon will kick-off the tournament on January 12 with new head coaches in place.
Portuguese Carlos Queiroz has been replaced by Spaniard Marquez Lopez as Qatar head coach while Miodrag Radulovic has returned to take charge of Lebanon.
Radulovic, who took Lebanon to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, takes over from
Nikola Jurcevic, with the Croatian stepping down by mutual consent.
Thailand will also have a new head coach, with Japan’s Masatada Ishii having replaced Alexandre Polking in November.
The final squads will only be announced later but fans are beginning to get an inkling of how their favourite teams will probably look with some naming their preliminary squads.
China PR have named a 26-player training squad, while India have a 50-strong list.
Korea Republic, seeking a third title, have reportedly said their final squad will be named in the final week of December.
Islamic Republic of Iran’s Sardar Azmoun and Maty Ryan of Australia could miss Qatar 2023 after picking up injuries over the past week.
Azmoun suffered a calf injury after coming on as a substitute for Roma in their Serie A match against Fiorentina the previous Sunday.
Socceroos captain and first-choice goalkeeper Ryan, meanwhile, appears to be in a race against time after suffering a fractured cheekbone.
Dutch club AZ Alkmaar said on Monday that Ryan, 31, suffered a head injury during training on Sunday, then had surgery that would sideline him for several weeks.
Qatar’s Almoez Ali and Ali Mabkhout of the United Arab Emirates, barring the unexpected, will line up for their respective teams at the continental showpiece.
Both have nine AFC Asian Cup goals to their names, with Ali having scored all of his in Qatar’s title-winning campaign in 2019.
Mabkhout, meanwhile, was the top scorer in the 2015 edition with five goals, with another four netted four years later.
The question now is can they overtake all-time AFC Asian Cup top scorer Ali Daei, with the Islamic Republic of Iran legend having 14 goals to his name.
Matches at the nine stadiums that will be utilised for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 are set to have rocking atmospheres based on ticket sales.
Supporters from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India are leading the way in what promises to be an extravaganza of Asian national team football.
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