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Peter Green - January 8, 2024
The AFC Asian Cup showcases the potential of strong outfits from the continent. Teams like Japan, South Korea, Iran, Qatar, and Australia are among the favorites to perform well in the tournament, considering their strong footballing traditions and previous successes in the Asian Cup.
The tournament comprises six groups and a total of 24 teams. Group A includes Qatar, China, Lebanon, and Tajikistan. Qatar enters this season as huge favorites and reigning Asian Cup champions after defeating Japan 3-1 in the last season.
The Chinese side enters this competition under the guidance of Serbian coach Jankovic. Lebanon aims to play their first knockout match in the Asian Cup, while Tajikistan begins their maiden Asian Cup campaign this time.
Qatar, the reigning champions and one of Asia’s football powerhouses, enters the tournament with strong hopes of asserting their dominance and contending for the title yet again. Moreover, Qatar has shown decent form across all competitions of late.
China hopes for a better display this time, unlike the past two seasons where they fell in the quarterfinals. Despite playing the Asian Cup since 1976, they are yet to secure the title. With a blend of experienced players and emerging talents, they aim to advance deep into the tournament.
Lebanon aims for a decent display in their third Asian Cup appearance this season. They have never qualified past the group stage in the Asian Cup and missed the knockout stage in the last season due to the fair play rule. Therefore, they aim for their maiden knockout entry this season.
Tajikistan makes its AFC Asian Cup debut this season. They’ve delivered decent regional performances and aim to make an impact on the continental stage despite their inexperience compared to others at this stage.
Qatar and China are expected to be the frontrunners to advance to the knockout stage due to their strong history compared to the inexperienced Lebanon and Tajikistan.
We back Qatar as the group winners considering their exposure to teams from different continents and being defending champions. However, they’ll face tough competition from China, who have made it to the quarterfinals in the past two seasons.
Lebanon’s experience in three seasons leads us to expect them to finish third in the Group A standings, not likely to surpass Qatar and China this time. Debut team Tajikistan is likely to finish at the bottom spot as they don’t offer as much as the other three in Group A.
