The 10 players to watch at the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar
Al Jazeera
From South Korean and Japanese stars to local heroes, these are the players expected to light up the tournament.
The AFC Asian Cup 2023 kicks off in Qatar when the hosts and defending champions face Lebanon at the Lusail Stadium in Group A on January 12.
Players from the top flights of the best leagues in the world have put their club commitments on hold to compete for arguably the strongest Asian Cup yet.
Here’s a look at our top 10 players to watch out for during the tournament:
Arguably the biggest star set to light up the tournament in Qatar. Will Son be able to lead South Korea to a third title though? The 31-year-old leads Tottenham Hotspur, of the top sides vying for the English Premier League title. Son has scored 12 goals in 20 Premier League games this season so the Spurs loss is South Korea’s gain. The former Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen forward, who has won an Asian Player of the Year award on a record three occasions, has scored 41 goals in 116 games for his country.
Last year, Kim was named the Asian International Player of the Year for players based outside Asia after he helped Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990. The 27-year-old, regarded one of the best central defenders in the world and aptly nicknamed “The Beast” moved from Napoli to Bayern Munich last summer. Kim has appeared 56 times for the national team for whom he made his debut in 2017.
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