PremiumIndia's Sunil Chhetri to South Korea's Son Hung-Min - Star footballer to watch at AFC Asian Cup
As the tournament kicks off, it's worth keeping an eye on some key and famous players who are expected to impact the AFC Asian Cup 2023 significantly.
Last Updated: 08.23 PM, Jan 12, 2024
The AFC Asian Cup 2023 is poised to kick off on January 12, 2024, marking the 18th edition of Asia's premier international men's football competition. The tournament is scheduled to run until February 10, 2024.
This year's edition will see 24 teams participating, evenly distributed into six groups. The matches will be played across nine venues.
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As the tournament kicks off, it's worth keeping an eye on some key and famous players who are expected to impact the AFC Asian Cup 2023 significantly.
Kim Min-Jae (South Korea)
Known by the moniker "the Monster," the defender from Bayern Munich is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world.
Sunil Chhetri (India)
The captain of the Indian team holds the record for the highest number of goals scored for India in international football.
Takumi Minamino (Japan)
The ex-Liverpool striker, currently plying his trade with AS Monaco in Ligue 1, is set to don the jersey of Japan at the AFC Asian Cup.
Sandesh Jhingan (India)
The centre-back won the AIFF Emerging Player of the Year award in 2014 and made his debut for the India national side in 2015.
Son Heung-min (South Korea)
The forward, who serves as both the captain for Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team, has achieved significant success in the realm of Asian footballers.
Takefusa Kubo (Japan)
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who represents Real Sociedad at the club level, is someone to watch out for.
Mehdi Taremi (Iran)
He garnered attention from the football world when he propelled the Portuguese side Porto to the league title last season, securing a remarkable 22 goals, the highest in the league.
Almoez Ali (Qatar)
His impressive record of scoring nine goals played a pivotal role in guiding Qatar to a historic AFC Asian Cup title in 2019, and in 2024, he aims to replicate this accomplishment.
Salem Aldawsari (Saudi Arabia)
He etched his name in history by scoring the iconic goal against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2022, establishing himself as a key player for Saudi Arabia.
Lee Kang-in (South Korea)
In 2023, the young player representing PSG in Ligue 1 achieved the feat of surpassing Kylian Mbappe as the most popular player for the club.