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Victor Dias - January 11, 2024
Saudi Arabia have a golden opportunity in the AFC Asian Cup this year. They are in a relatively less competitive group and their objective is to finish as group leader in Group F. They are clubbed against Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman. Group F will kick-off with Thailand taking on Kyrgyzstan at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
Saudi Arabia are one of the most successful nations in this competition’s history. They have won the AFC Asian Cup three times. Their most famous game that everyone remembers is their 2-1 win against current world champions Argentina in the group stage match of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The Green Falcons are ranked fifth in the AFC rankings and are one of the favourites in the tournament. Manager Roberto Manchini will expect Saleh Al Shehri to lead the team up front. He has a prolific record for his nation, scoring 15 goals in 30 appearances.
Manager Masatada Ishii is not happy with his team’s preparation ahead of the AFC Asian Cup. They lost to Japan by conceding five goals in a friendly game. This result will affect the team’s mentality ahead of their first game against Kyrgyzstan. Looking at the previous records, they reached the round of 16 of the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 and this time their goal remains the same.
Kyrgyzstan defeated Myanmar and secured one point against Tajikistan to qualify for this competition. Under manager Štefan Tarkovič, the team made good progress. In 2023, Kyrgyzstan alongside Uzbekistan hosted the inaugural 2023 CAFA Nations Cup. Despite ranking 98th in the FIFA ranking, the team plays in a organized way in thier international fixtures. This is due to their captain Kayrat Zhyrgalbek uulu’s idea of playing as a unit. Manager Štefan Tarkovič has also selected many young talents for this year’s competition.
Oman created history in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup as they advanced to the round of 16. In the last two years they have emerged as a top contender in Asia. They finished in third place in the CAFA Nations Cup. Another impressive achievement is that they also reached the final of the Gulf Cup and defeated Saudi Arabia in the group stage.
The team is well-prepared ahead of their opening match against Saudi Arabia. They defeated UAE in a friendly. Manager Branko Ivanković has selected many key players including Harib Al-Saadi, Ali Al-Busaidi and Jameel Al-Yahmadi.
Saudi Arabia have the best opportunity to finish at the top of the table in Group F. Oman have a well-balanced squad and they pose a threat to Kyrgyzstan and Thailand. Thailand’s main concern is that their they have a poor defence organization. This was evident in their 5-0 loss against Japan. Kyrgyzstan will be cautious in all their group-stage fixtures.
