The Asian Cup is the tournament that catapulted many legendary Asian players into the spotlight. Iran’s Ali Daei and Khodadad Azizi made the headlines in 1996 as they led an unfortunate but exciting Iranian side to the semi-finals. Korea’s Lee Dong Gook was the star in 2000.
Japan’s Shunsuke Nakamura led Japan to the title in 2004 and helped himself seal a move to Celtic in the aftermath while Iraq’s captain, Younis Mahmood, who will coincidentally be appearing in Australia too, starred in 2007 as he led a young Iraqi side to a surprise triumph.
In 2011, an established star in Milan’s Keisuke Honda led Japan to a record fourth title but young South Korean Koo Ja Cheol emerged as a future talent and later moved to Wolfsburg as a result.
At the 2015 Asian Cup, a number of young players have the opportunity to emulate those stars and earn themselves an elevated standing in Asian football as well as recognition from notable clubs in Europe.
The hosts are currently undergoing a transitional period under manager Ange Postecoglou. The Socceroos have won only twice in 14 games under Postecoglou- in a pre-World Cup friendly against Costa Rica and during a pre-Asian Cup match against Saudi Arabia. The period has coincided with the Austraila boss introducing a number of younger, and untested players into the starting line-up at the expense of an established old guard which had included Lucas Neill and Mark Schwarzer among others.
Young Australian forward, Matthew Leckie is only 23 but has been a regular under the new regime. He had an impressive World Cup as a hard-working forward, playing alongside Tim Cahill in the front-line. Leckie has always had the potential, having moved to Borussia Monchengladbach at the age of 20 in 2011. The Bundesliga switch did not work well but a subsequent spell at FSV Frankfurt in Germany’s second tier revitalized the striker.
Leckie is quick off the mark and does not let his opponents rest easy on the ball. His determination and endeavour in pressing from the front is one reason why his manager rates him highly. He is able to do a job for the side coming off either wing, notably the left one.
During the 2014/15 campaign, while playing for Ingolstadt in Bundesliga 2, he has largely played on the left wing during his 19 games, contributing four goals and six assists. If Australia are to realise their title ambitions, youngsters like Utrecht’s Tommy Oar and Leckie have to provide the goal-scoring support to Cahill.
Ali Adnan Khadim was born in Baghdad after the first Gulf War. The young marauding left-sided player was always destined for a future in football as his uncle and namesake was, and remained, a legendary striker for the national side. The younger Ali Adnan has just turned 21 but is already an established player for Iraq. He moved to the Turkish league last year to play for Çaykur Rizespor and is already a regular.
The 2013 Asian Young Player of the Year, who has already amassed 30 caps for his country, is adept at playing anywhere along the left, although he predominantly starts at left-back for club and country. He has a similar style to Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale and his future may be further up the field if he fulfils his potential.
At 188cm (6ft 2in) he is an extremely tall and physical left back who has the versatility to slot in at centre-back in case of an emergency. His sheer strength facilitates him getting past opponents and his long-range shooting and set-pieces form a major goal threat. However, he does sometimes let himself down with his final delivery from dangerous positions.
La Liga club Granada are thought to be finalising a transfer before the Asian Cup, a smart decision by the Spaniards as bigger clubs could look to trump his signature if he has an impressive Asian Cup.
Rubin Kazan’s Sardar Azmoun will have just turned 20 by the time the Asian Cup kicks off in Australia. The ethnic Turkmen was born into an athletic family, with his father considered a volleyball legend in Iran. At the age of 13, Sardar had a choice to make as to which sport he should pursue as the Iran Under-15 side had called him up for volleyball. He spurned their offer and pursued football. The rest is history.
In early 2012, Azmoun, who had just turned 17, was called up Iran’s Under-21 side for the 2012 Commonwealth of Independent States tournament in Russia. It was there that he caught the eye of Rubin scouts as he ended up top scorer with seven goals in six starts. He moved to Russia without even kicking a ball in professional football in his country.
Soon he became the youngest Asian to appear in a European competition and he made an immediate impact, quickly scoring in the Europa League. At the end of his first season in Russia, he'd scored five goals and assisted another three from only nine starts. However, it was bitter sweet for him as he was one of the last players to be cut from Carlos Quieroz's World Cup squad for Brazil.
Nevertheless, he put his head down and continued to work hard to catch the Portuguese manager's eye. During Iran's only two international friendlies since the World Cup, Azmoun has scored the solitary goals in each, against South Korea and Iraq.
The tall, somewhat skinny forward, prefers to play off the main striker but is likely to play furthest up front for Team Melli, when he comes off the bench, where he will most likely start. He is good in the air, as illustrated from his goal against Korea, and is strong with both feet, as exemplified by the outside of the foot finish against Iraq. After a mixed second season domestically, Azmoun will be hoping that his impact substitute role will catch the eye of scouts from Liverpool, QPR, Arsenal and Zenit, in order to renew their previous interest in him.
The UAE is going through a golden period in football. Although they aren't currently in fine form, things are looking bright for the Whites as a whole. The national team is managed by a local, Mahdi Ali, who has probably done better than many of the more illustrious foreigners that preceded him. The bulk of the current side performed admirably at the London Olympics and then won the Gulf Cup in 2013.
Mahdi Ali is building a side capable of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and one of the integral elements of the current set-up is emerging young striker Ali Mabkhout of Al Jazira. Mabkhout has just turned 24 and has the capability to provide the finishing touches in front of the technical genius, Al Ain’s Omar Abdulrahman, the undoubted star of the national side.
Since making his national team debut in October 2013, Mabkhout has been relentless in front of goal, ousting former captain and legend Ismail Matar from the starting lineup and later from the squad altogether. Whilst all eyes had been on Ahmed Khalil to accomplish that task, it has been the young Al Jazira forward who has done it.
His finishing ability and predatory instincts are second to none in Asian football, a confederation where clinical strikers are quite rare. He has played just over 30 international matches and already scored 20 goals, including five at the recent Gulf Cup where the UAE fell short in defending their title.
Drawn in a tough group against rivals Iran as well as neighbours Bahrain and Qatar in Australia, a lot will depend on the young forward’s performances. To date, he has delivered for his country and he is certainly a contender to become top-scorer at the tournament, especially if the UAE are able to advance into the quarter-finals.
Saudi Arabia were a dominant force in Asian football during the 1990s but over the past decade or so the national side has been in sharp decline. They have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, having qualified for the previous four tournaments.
Whilst Saudi club football has maintained its high standards in the Asian Champions League, the national side has not produced as many talented players of the ilk of Saeed Owairan, Mohammad Al Deayea, Sami Al Jaber and Nawaf Al Temyat, like in the past. However, one player that looks like breaking that drought is Al Hilal’s mesmerising attacking midfielder Nawaf Al Abed.
The dimunitive left-sided player has been a key player for his club since making his debut at the age of 18. Now 24, he has established himself as an important member of the Saudi setup too. During the recent Gulf Cup, he scored his first two international goals on the way to the final where his side fell just short against Qatar. However, his impressive performances were rewarded by being named the MVP at the Gulf Cup.
Boualem Khoukhi is not what you would normally consider a break-out "Asian" star. The Algerian born player had his footballing education etched back in his homeland in a French academy. However, since moving to play in Qatar's QSL in 2009 he has felt every bit at home.
En-route to Qatar to join Al Shamal, he was intercepted, almost at the airport, by Al Arabi manager, Uli Stielike, currently the South Korean head coach. Stielike gave him a trial and Al Arabi quickly signed him up to an even more lucrative contract. The pacey wide player has all the ingredients that attract regional supporters. He's quick, creative, can dribble, dsngerous at set-pieces and deadly in front of goal.
Almost immediately after joining Al Arabi, the Qatari FA began steps towards naturalising the young Algerian. However, initially, he resisted those advances stating that he wants to play for the Algerian national side. Eventually, the Qataris got their way and the rest was history.
Djamel Belmadi, the current Qatar coach, is a fellow Algerian and is credited as being the catalyst behind the naturalisation process. He quickly gave Khoukhi his debut at the WAFF Championships where he impressed and from March 2014 has been an ever-present for the Maroons as they lifted their 3rd Gulf Cup and are aiming for a semi-finals spot at the Asian Cup.
Khoukhi has lifted the creativity and goal-scoring burden off the shoulders of Khalfan Ibrahim and given the team a much more balanced attacking threat than before. He definitely has the potential to be considered one of Asia's best players if he already isn't. It's inevitable that he will attract the eyes of foreign scouts during the Asian Cup.
