2015 AFC Asian Cup Group C & D: Team-by-team guide

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Up for grabs: The Asian Cup.

    With the showpiece of Asian football kicking off in Australia on Friday, our reporter Matt Monaghan guides us through the teams competing in Groups A and B. 

    GROUP C

    UAE 
    Coach: Mahdi Ali 

    Best finish: Runners-up (1996) 
    Star player: Omar Abdulrahman 

    One to watch: Mohamed Abdulrahman 
    Strengths: Solid unit, well-honed under coach Ali. Boast fantastic resources of talent and know how to play competitive matches. 
    Weaknesses: Team look tired after three years of non-stop action. 
    Star man: Omar Abdulrahman struggling to be fit in time for Qatar opener. 
    Verdict: Asia’s fifth-highest ranked team by FIFA, so should be competitive. Semi-final run possible.

    BAHRAIN 
    Coach: Marjan Eid
    Best finish: Fourth place (2004)
    Star player: Mohamed Husain

    One to watch: Abdulla Helal 
    Strengths: Can only improve after dire Gulf Cup campaign under Adnan Hamad. Number of experienced players are back in squad.
    Weaknesses: Real dearth of talent compared to group rivals. Can caretaker Eid inspire them? 
    Verdict: Look like cannon fodder in the competition’s toughest pool. Even a win looks unlikely.

    IRAN 
    Coach: Carlos Queiroz
    Best finish: Champions (1968, 1972, 1976)
    Star player: Reza Ghoochannejhad

    One to watch: Sardar Azmoun 
    Strengths: Queiroz has made the Princes of Persia incredibly hard to beat, with Argentina’s last-gasp World Cup victory as evidence.
    Weaknesses: Obvious counter point is lack of goals. Iran media are also no friends of Queiroz, leading to poisonous atmosphere.
    Verdict: Have nous to challenge for the title. Potential semi-final with Australia is one to watch.
     

    QATAR 
    Coach: Djamel Belmadi
    Best finish: Quarter-finals (2000, 2011)
    Star player: Khalfan Ibrahim

    One to watch: Boualem Khoukhi 
    Strengths: Belmadi has engineered a tight side able to flourish on the counter-attack through inventive Ibrahim and Khoukhi.
    Weaknesses: If flair players are not at best, can look very one-dimensional. No natural replacement for discarded Sebastian Soria up top.
    Verdict: November’s Gulf Cup win could take them far. Anything possible if progress past daunting group. 

    GROUP C 

    JAPAN 
    Coach: Javier Aguirre
    Best finish: Champions (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011)
    Star player: Keisuke Honda

    One to watch: Hiroshi Kiyotake  
    Strengths: An established force in world football, nearly half the players play abroad. Position as holders gives belief.
    Weaknesses: No outstanding forward to convert chances from delightful midfield.
    Verdict: The champions will take some stopping Down Under. The team to beat.
     

    JORDAN 
    Coach: Ray Wilkins
    Best finish: Quarterfinal (2004, 2011)
    Star player: Odai Al Saify
    One to watch: Khalil Bani Attiah  
    Strengths: An underrated force in Asian football, only defeat to Uruguay in play-off preventing World Cup 2014 appearance.
    Weaknesses: Recent form is awful, losing seven of last 10 matches.
    Verdict: If Wilkins can return Jordan to their best, could be dark horses for competition.

    IRAQ 
    Coach: Radhi Shenaishil
    Best finish: Champions (2007)
    Star player: Humam Tariq

    One to watch: Justin Meram 
    Strengths: On-loan boss Shenaishil has a young squad, eager to prove themselves after November’s awful Gulf Cup showing.
    Weaknesses: Onus is on veteran Younus Mahmood to score, but striker is without a club.
    Verdict: A quarter-final exit would be a creditable return from the Lions of Mesopotamia.

    PALESTINE 
    Coach: Ahmed Al Hassan
    Best finish: N/A
    Star player: Ashraf Al Fawaghra

    One to watch: Mahmoud Dhadha  
    Strengths: Still riding wave from 2014 AFC Challenge Cup victory. Striker Al Fawaghra is proven in Saudi Arabian top flight.
    Weaknesses: One of lowestranked teams in competition. Coach Al Hassan was only installed in October.
    Verdict: Group D is Asian Cup’s weakest, but it will still be too tall an order to advance.

    Recommended