Asian Cup 2019 (Preview)

The 18th AFC Asian Cup gets underway on the 5th January in Abu Dhabi, bringing to close an historic four-year cycle for the confederation. The new qualifying format was proven to be a unanimous success, with great strides being achieved at all levels of the international game, most pertinently highlighted by AFC’s record-breaking effort over the summer at the World Cup. The expansion of the continental tournament to 24 teams has its drawbacks, yet we’re still likely to see the most competitive finals competition to date.

We’re regularly reminded of the ills and deficiencies of Asian football, but the revamped qualification phase that came into place over the last four years has been largely an unheralded success. Developing nations were scheduled with proper competitive football to last the duration of the cycle, opposed to small doses of quick fire shootout competition. Instead of grouping minnows together, the two-round group stage split allowed for nations to compete with the elite, whilst offering more realistic preparation to follow.

While some may have expressed concerns over what impact this elongated process would have had on the top tier of Asian football, the World Cup in Russia proved testament that the quality has only seen an improvement over the cycle. Given where we were in 2014, the strides made towards 2018, and looking forward to an Asia hosted World Cup in 2022, the qualification revamp proved more than beneficial.

Heading into January’s Asian Cup should, in theory be considered the closing ceremony of the cycle, yet we’ll likely see a number of sides in transition, some only at the start of their progress towards the next World Cup challenge. The likes of Japan, Australia and South Korea have all appointed new coaches since their showing over the summer, while Uzbekistan, Qatar and Iraq have all expressed their long-term ambitions over an advanced run at the Asian Cup, after poor qualification showings.

Given the way the Asian calendar falls, the Asian Cup is slowly being pushed off the agenda. The Asian Cup is being treated by some as the starting point of World Cup preparation rather than the pinnacle of continental football. The AFC haven’t necessarily helped with this; marketing of the event has been slow on the uptake and the timing regularly draws criticisms. In such a vast and varied continent however, the balance is always going to be difficult to find.

With it comes change; not only a new ball (Molten?) or a new trophy (I know...), but an increase number of participants, from 16 to 24. While the technical quality has increased over the last the last four years, the gap between the elite and the rest continues to widen, which could render many group stage matches irrelevant. As has been seen at regular U20 World Cups and at Euro 2016, an expansion to 24 also opens the back door to failure via the third-place lottery, which is neither clear enough to be useful to spectators or makes for an even comparison.

A less than competitive opening, which alludes to less shocks than normal, has already seen the likes of South Korea willingly sacrifice the inclusion of star striker Son Heung-min, while others look to rest injured or tired options until after the first phase. Already placed in a difficult window for European domestic leagues, the extra fixture pileup, can’t have eased the friction between clubs and countries.

We’ll also have VAR (from the quarter-finals onwards) to tackle, a system that despite a reportedly solid World Cup appearance (which I personally question), has been hit by controversy after controversy in Asian domestic football. Ask any Australian, Chinese or Saudi domestic football fan whether they’re looking forward to seeing it being introduced in the UAE, and I’d guess the response wouldn’t be so warm. The prospect of an entertaining, yet hot tempered matchup, akin to that of Iran v Iraq in 2015, may be slightly tarnished with such an introduction.

Links to Previews

Group A - UAE (Hosts), Thailand, India & Bahrain

Group B - Australia, Syria, Palestine & Jordan

Group C - South Korea, China, Philippines & Kyrgyzstan

Group D - Iran, Iraq, Vietnam & Yemen

Group E - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, North Korea & Lebanon

Group F - Japan, Uzbekistan, Oman & Turkmenistan

Bringing it back round to the football, the best team over the last four years Iran start as sizeable favourites to win their first continental prize since the 1970s. Their showing in Russia was arguably their nation’s greatest footballing performance on the world stage, with an array of talent at their disposal and Carlos Queiroz in the dugout, they look well placed to live up to the expectations.

The usual candidates are their greatest opposition. On the back of making it to the World Cup knockout stages, a reinvigorated and fresh-looking Japan under new coach Hajme Moriyasu look to have the raw enthusiasm to blaze through the tournament, while Australia, despite now being under Graham Arnold can call upon a similar personnel selection that sealed the title four years ago.

South Korea come into it in the greatest form, having tested themselves against the very best in Asia on foreign soil. Another new coach Paulo Bento hasn’t tinkered as much as others and has the luxury of relying on the best player in Asia within his ranks, and arguably the only centre forward in consistent form amongst the big four.

On the fringes, the emergence of Team-2022 for Qatar, makes Felix Sanchez’s young guns a team everyone wants to see tested at competitive level, while eternal bridesmaids Uzbekistan, under Hector Cuper also provide an appetising side show in transition. Given the expansion, the likes of Yemen, Kyrgyzstan and Philippines make their tournament debuts, while Lebanon and Turkmenistan qualify only for their second appearances.

Ahead of the tournament, I’ve profiled each competing nation in some detail, to establish what this competition means to them, both in their footballing development sense and in their individual coach’s ideology, and which players we could be singing the praises of come the grand final in February. Hopefully you’ll find them enjoyable and informative on the run up to the tournament.

With no further ado, utilising the official team bus slogans;

“One Team, One Nation” (Syria), “One Heartbeat” (Iran), with a “Never Say Never” (Bahrain) attitude. Will “Respect All”, but “Fear None” (Japan) and “Never Give Up” (Yemen), to prove their “Time is Now” (UAE).

This is where “We Will Triumph” (Palestine). “Heroes Will Rise” (Australia), upon “The Hope Of A Nation” (India). “Together As One” (Thailand), “Fighting For The Same Dream” (China), “One Dream” (Oman), “To Dream The Impossible” (Philippines), where “Lions Always Prevail” (Iraq).

All roads lead to Abu Dhabi, enjoy!

Asian Cup 2019: Bahrain (Preview)

Ten years ago, Bahrain came within a goal of qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa. Fast forward to the present day, and they’ll be happy they merely managed qualification to the Asian Cup this January. From their considered “Golden Generation”, to a side facing national ridicule, a rebuilding process is well underway to resurrect pride, if not faint hope, that those heady days of success can be replicated in the future.

At the start of qualifying, many strongly tipped Bahrain to progress to the latter stages, to push the established elite for an outside chance of making it to Russia. The appointment of former Argentina boss Sergio Batista bolstered the nation’s hopes, yet within a year Bahrain were out at the first hurdle, bettered by the likes of North Korea and Philippines in what in hindsight can now be considered the “Group of Death.” The generation that had received so many of the plaudits years before were left tarnished and set for the scrap heap.

In retrospect, it looks to have been the perfect kick up the backside Bahraini football needed. It’s never an easy avenue to venture down, but the deconstruction of such a successful side, sometimes bringing in players half the age of their exiting heroes, is a route every prominent team will have to tread at some point.

While individual performances were particularly disappointing, Batista took the lion’s share of the blame (and resulting axe), fitting of course of his somewhat healthy salary. His replacement, a relatively unknown Czech coach Miroslav Soukup stepped into the hot seat, catching his employers’ eye whilst in charge of Yemen, one of the few sides Bahrain picked up points against during Batista’s tumultuous tenure.

His two years in the job to date have been progressive to say the least. Out have gone the familiar faces we all think of when Bahraini football springs to mind; the likes of Ismael Abdullatif, Faouzi Aaish and Abdulla Al-Hazaa. Great names of Asian football down the years, at best fazed out slowly, but generally the established stars were swiftly cut from the new national team set up.

In their place, Soukup has trusted youth, an area in which the coach has a positive track record in, leading his country to the U20 World Cup final back in 2007. The intent was clear in why the BFA plumped for the previously unheralded coach. Bahrain impressed to a degree during their hosting of the U19s Championship in 2016, but by no means can they bank on any sort of like-for-like quality that has exited stage left.

Instead though, there’s been freshness and attacking vibrancy; young untarnished minds ready to be moulded for modern football. Bahrain have quickly stepped into the 21st century; build up play starts from the back, they have energy in wide positions, entrust forward thinking full backs and positional switching that is reminiscent of present day European football.

One player who has benefited most since Soukup took charge has been Abdulla Yusuf Helal. The 25-year-old striker, who went to the last Asian Cup as a promising bench option had failed to kick on either domestically or for the national team since. That’s until the new coach made him the team’s focal point. Towering, physical, with good link up play, Helal brings the best out of those around him, making perfect use of the runs of Abdo Yaser and Jamal Rashid from deep.

His form to end qualification (3 goals in the final stage) engineered a move to Europe, a first for any Bahraini player, to Soukup’s homeland with Bohemians, where the striker has started in the sort of form few could’ve hoped for him a mere two years back.

Hope is that more will follow Helal’s path to Europe. The number of raw products being given opportunities in the national team over the last year is promising given few Asian nations (West Asia in particular) have granted their trust so wilfully. Hamad Al-Shamsan, a ball playing centre back, Sayed Issa, an energetic, overlapping full back, Mohammed Al-Hardan, an impactful centre midfield dynamo and Ali Madan, a right midfielder adept at late runs into the area, are all examples of players who have shown glimmers of talent recently, but the real test will come with the sustainability shown over the coming cycle.

That’s a difficult ask for a fledgling squad that has barely played outside of Bahrain, let alone the midtable reaches of continental football, by no means has it been a smooth ride in terms of results either for Bahrain since Soukup took over. Despite cruising through a modest looking Asian Cup qualification group, they did drop points to Singapore and Taiwan along the way. Goals have continued to flow for Al-Ahmar, however defensively it’s a work in progress that will take time to bed in.

A grasp of hope going into the Asian Cup, is their draw; coming up against Thailand and India, who are both undergoing tumultuous times at present, and the fact they’ve been drawn against the hosts will also be seen as an opportunity. Bahrain produced back-to-back draws against the UAE and Iraq at last winter’s Gulf Cup, a competition where they exited at the semi-final stage to eventual champions Oman. Confidence looks to be thin on the ground in Group A, something many of Bahrain’s players can count on taking to the Emirates after a positive campaign in Saudi Arabia.

They’ve shown before they can mix it at the very highest levels of the Asian game, but a cautionary warning must be heard; they have steadied the ship from their World Cup qualification humiliation yes, but have some way to go to return to the glory days of Abdulatif and Aaish.

Key Men

Head Coach - Miroslav Soukup (CZE)

Former Yemen manager, who left to take over from Sergio Batista after an awful World Cup qualification campaign. Steadied the ship through Asian Cup qualification, producing a younger, more attacking set up. Coached Czech Republic to a U20 World Cup final, where they lost to a Sergio Aguero inspired Argentina side.

Star Player - Abdulla Yusuf Helal

Imposing, physical striker, who looks at home with his back to goal. Become one of the first Bahraini players to break Europe, moving to Bohemians in the Czech Republic over the summer, a league where he’s already started to impress, notching five goals in nine starts thus far.

Under Pressure - Sayed Saeed

One of the old guard that came under criticism during World Cup qualification. On his day he has the ability to inspire the team, but too often misses the spot. The left back or midfielder has remained in the national fold under Soukup but will need to take on greater responsibility as they head to the UAE.

Young Prospect - Hamad Al Shamsan

21-year-old centre back, with a cultured eye for a pass, has accelerated up the national team ladder after promising performances at the Asian Under 19s and the recent Asian Games. Links well with midfield and has the physicality to hold off the attack, his age may be the only thing holding him back from a starting spot at the Asian Cup.

Asian Cup 2019: Thailand (Preview)

Returning to the Asian Cup after a 12-year absence, Thailand can look back on a productive cycle, that generated a pool of talent that was all set to put South East Asian football on the map. However, with raised expectations and some damaging recent results, comes a retreat to a more defensive mentality which could see a thoroughly watered-down product in the UAE. With their star players set to return in time for January, can they help influence a change in the team’s fortunes?

Thailand’s record at the Asian Cup is pretty dire, given the circumstances they find themselves in today. Only once have they passed the group stages, but that was at their home tournament, back in 1972. Since then, one win from fifteen matches since 1992 has well and truly shackled The War Elephants to the outer edges of international Asian football. 

With such a meagre history of contesting on the continental stage, the job achieved in qualification by former player turned coach Kiatisuk Senamuang was nothing short of remarkable. While steamrolling along regionally (winning back-to-back Suzuki Cups in 2014 & 2016), Kiatisuk’s Thailand shocked Asian Cup semi-finalists Iraq, in topping their Asian Cup qualifying group, before pushing the likes of Saudi Arabia and Australia in the early proceedings of final World Cup qualification.

The very fact that he was forced out thanks to criticism of below par performances in the final round, should illustrate the expectations he’d risen over his tenure. The squad of players groomed over qualification are tentatively being coined as the Thai “golden generation”, and despite concerns over the team itself ever really living up to that moniker, individual players have burnt through their own path to live up to the billing.

In the last year, the golden trio of Chanathip Songkrasin, Teerasil Dangda and Theerathon Bunmathan all made the loan move to Japan, a noticeable change to their predominantly home based squad, not only to make up the numbers, or to draw in the crowds, but to compete and excel. Chanathip in particular, after a fine season with Consadole Sapporo, has sealed his permanent future in the J.League, impressing enough to be nominated for the league’s top performer across the season.

The rise of all three championed a positive style of play Kiatisuk encouraged throughout the side. An attacking, wing back system, that saw Thailand at their very best, rip through weaker teams on quick counters, but also stretch and pose questions of those established nations, something rarely seen from a Thai side to date. Chanathip’s burst of energy whilst in possession scared opponents, while the delivery from Theerathon from the left, and Tristan Do from the right, kept lone man Teerasil busy with goal scoring opportunities.

One thing Thailand wasn’t, was ever cautious. In the end, that was Kiatisuk’s undoing, thus a more defensive coach Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac was brought in to steady the ship. As I preluded upon his appointment a year ago, initial concerns brought up from his previous roles came to fruition. Immediately he bolstered the defence, filing back to a back four (sometimes consisting of four natural centre halves), while cutting out the then inspiring Tristan Do, who has rarely featured under Rajevac since, and clipping Theerathon’s attacking performances, sometimes deploying him in midfield.

The set up is now reminiscent of where we used to pit Thailand. A stubborn side on the fringes, looking to make best off infrequent attacking opportunities, but crucially keeping the door shut behind them. Out have gone the exuberance and invention of old, in came stability, to manage attacks patiently and minimise risks. Perfect for a technical disadvantage that may have come later at the Asian Cup, but something that has slowly saw them lose ground regionally, a place where they have regularly bossed proceedings.

A semi-final exit in the last few weeks to Malaysia in their Suzuki Cup title retention bid was nothing short of humiliating for a nation that has dominated so much recently. They weren’t just beaten, it could have been by much more. A competition Thai fans had grown accustomed to winning, has now been set back to yet another tournament Thailand were struggling to exude their influence on. While Rajevac was hamstrung somewhat in not being able to select the Japanese based trio, Thailand managed to cobble together a squad stiff enough to mount a serious challenge that regrettably didn’t occur.

Of the few positives that came from the tournament, defensive stability was clearly on show, one area Rajevac and his employers can point to as a step up from that under Kiatisuk. Individually, the performances of 20-year-old forward Supachai Jaided will have also caught the eye. Even if he does only offer a substitute option in the Emirates, the Buriram forward, proved to be an unpredictable option out wide, that worked nicely to balance the side’s structured approach towards goal.

Similarly, the goalscoring exploits of Adisak Kraisorn were back on show. The lone front man remains an underwhelming prospect in Asian football, that promised so much early on, to go on to suffer from countless injury setbacks and a lack of form that has hampered his progress to date. The change of management may in the end prove beneficial for him, excelling more in individual moments rather than attacking flow, the striker’s aerial ability and initiative to come alive in the box has already proven to be a successful starting block for Rajevac’s attacking play.

Thailand travel to the UAE, in a group they should be progressing from – already framing this as potentially their most successful tournament away from home in their history. Drawn alongside the hosts, India and Bahrain will see Thailand start as considered favourites along with UAE for progression, yet with the last month lacking energy and attacking thought, could Thailand become the first of the shock casualty of the Asian Cup?

Key Men

Head Coach - Milovan Rajevac (SRB)

Stepped into the breach of legendary player and coach Kiatisuk Senamuang to restore parity in qualification but failed to clinch a victory to end the cycle. Has returned Thailand to a typical 442/4231 formation, setting up in a more defensive approach than in previous years. Has a chequered managerial past, including short spells in charge of Qatar and Algeria.

Star Player - Chanathip Songkrasin

The most talented player in recent Thai footballing history, who’s transitioned his home form overseas with a successful move to Consadole Sapporo in Japan. “Jay” has the capability of featuring centrally or out wide, with pace and trickery to out think, rather than out muscle his opponents, given his diminutive 5ft 2in stature. After star of the tournament awards regionally, the Asian Cup marks the biggest test of his quality.

Returning to Form - Adisak Kraisorn

Physical striker, who has wrestled with injury knock backs to come into the tournament in great form but has plenty of critics to turnaround. Top scorer at the recent Suzuki Cup, Adisak recorded a double hat-trick against Timor-Leste in the group stage. A clever out ball, he provides a direct alternative to Teersail at the point of the Thailand attack.

Young Prospect - Supachai Jaided

Fledgling striker, who is an unpredictable threat from out wide, was one of the few players to further his case for an Asian Cup call up, with three goals in the Suzuki Cup group stage. The 20-year-old has been in and out since breaking through to the Buriram United first team but looks to have nailed down a starting birth domestically in the last month of the season.

Asian Cup 2019: India (Preview)

Boasting the second largest population on earth, India’s perceived lack of footballing heritage hardly waters down the pressure the national team faces upon travelling to the Asian Cup this January. A roller coaster of a World Cup cycle, from finishing dead last behind Guam and Turkmenistan in early qualification, to finish within touching distance of their best world ranking in their history, makes it difficult to accurately plot the mood against the lofty ambitions of the nation’s supporter base. Amongst it all, stands an Englishman weathering a heavy storm.

Stephen Constantine, a managerial cult figure at 52, who’s coached in several remote locations across the world, from Nepal to Malawi, from Rwanda to now his second stint as Indian head coach, has rarely been a man out of the spotlight. Ever willing to talk to the press, divulge wider opinions on the game, even straight talking on his relationships with individual players, his manner may be a breath of fresh air to the media, yet his relationship with players and the fans continues to sway in a gale.

The outgoing qualification cycle epitomised Constantine’s regularly oscillating reputation; starting poorly, before regaining hope, ahead of yet more turmoil. Considering the way modern football quickly disregards patience for those in the managerial hot seat, it’s astounding that the Londoner has stayed in his job throughout the last four years. It illustrates, if nothing else the trust in his ability from the hierarchy of Indian football.

Having had to navigate the early playoff rounds of qualification, beating Constantine’s former employers Nepal, to enter the main round of the draw, India collapsed in their bid to remain within World Cup consideration, a feat that remains the long-term goal of all involved in the country, but demonstrably a good generation or two behind reality. Losing 7 out of 8, including home and away reversals to Turkmenistan, India were left humiliated, having to run through the mill of an extra playoff round to keep their ship steady upon an Asian Cup pursuit.

Level going into extra time of the second leg, at home to Laos came arguably the biggest moment in their qualification. India hit six in 47 minutes, to emphatically cruise through, all despite 130+ minutes of uncertainty against a true minnow of Asian football. This reignited India’s run to the Asian Cup, blazing through a modest qualifying group that included Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Macau to secure their place in the Asian Cup. It wasn’t a pretty campaign, by any means, but the objective, stopping short of the primary goal of competing for the World Cup, was accomplished.

The last year, instead of simmering positively ahead of only their second Asian Cup campaign in 25 years, has proved anything but easy. Swipes in the media; at the standard of the I-League, the conduct of the Indian Super League, and at his employers for not sending a squad to the Asian Games in August, Constantine didn’t help his cause when he took an under 23 squad to the regional SAFF Championships, only to be left embarrassed in the final against Maldives, a tournament they should’ve comfortably won.

It’s becoming a trend in India’s recent history, concerning their perceived place in the world game. Thoughts ahead of qualification, weren’t merely at competing at the Asian Cup, but to qualify for the latter stages of World Cup qualification, and now again, a muted attempt at retaining their regional title was dismissed as an afterthought.

The progress of Indian football is gradually moving up through the gears; with the mess surrounding two simultaneous national leagues, looking to be coming to an adequate solution, yet the standard of play remains low. There continues to be no Indian national playing abroad, let alone in Europe, and their reliance continues to this day on the shoulders of outgoing legend Sunil Chhetri, with little in the way of replacements to step in if required, is concerning going forward.

Chhetri’s place in Indian football is close to being untouchable. The highest capped and leading marksman by a clear margin in the nation’s history, the influential striker has also had a large role to play off the pitch, instigating efforts to improve fan interaction and marketing of a sport that continues to play second fiddle to cricket. A bust up with his national coach however, that led to his captaincy being revoked in October, and a lack of fitness in November, leaves the side in limbo, fearing the worst for their prospects in the Emirates.

It all leaves a team divided; “Camp Constantine” vs. “Camp Chhetri”, leaving the legendary striker as the clear leader the most public of popularity contests. Calls for the removal of the coach had largely subsided going into the November international window, but come the end of the Asian Cup, no one will be surprised if Constantine exits stage left. An admission from the coach that India are left in a difficult place, if Chhetri were to miss out due to injury, was an honest take on the options he must work wonders with.

A positive that can be taken into the Asian Cup, is the raft of young players coming through, one area Constantine has been regularly praised for. Headlining the bill, midfield duo Anirudh Thapa and Vinit Rai, both under 21, are already adding bolster to the starting line-up despite their fledgling years. Already boasting 13 caps, since making his national debut last year, Thapa is an extraordinary talent that is worth keeping an eye on. Calmness in possession, impressive vision, with an improving attacking game, Constantine was even forced to field him as a false 9 against Jordan in Chhetri’s absence.

While this squad boasts interesting youth talent, some big game players, who have won club continental titles, expectations are starting to hit home that this is likely to be Constantine’s swan song. The whole Chhetri saga looks to have rocked the foundations enough, to see past failures come home to roost, a corner that this side looks incapable of escaping. With an even group, that consists of the hosts, India will look to their talismanic former skipper to drag them out of the deep one last time.

Key Men

Head Coach - Stephen Constantine (ENG)

Highly experienced English coach, who has managed in a range of locations, from Greece to Rwanda. Into his second stint as India head coach, has often picked up critics despite moderate successes, given his outspoken tendencies. His recent war of words with legendary striker Chhetri has divided the nation’s football.

Star Player - Sandesh Jhingen

Imperious central defender who has demonstrated experience above his years. can already boast of a blossoming career in India which has fed calls for him to move to Europe. Was the logical choice to succeed Chhetri in the captaincy debate, given his influence and impact on the team as a whole.

Under Pressure - Sunil Chhetri

Legendary striker, who remains one of few, that has been able to project football onto mainstream Indian culture. By far and away the nation’s highest scorer, the Asian Cup was set to be the 34-year-old’s defining moment, yet his feud with Constantine has provided doubts that the striker can wield the same influence.

Young Talent - Anirudh Thapa

A highly impressive young central midfielder, who makes up for his lack of height with a calm head and artistry in possession and from dead ball positions. Came to the fore upon conclusion of India’s qualification for the Asian Cup, but has quickly become a staple in Constandine’s side, and is likely to relish being in the spotlight of the world’s scouts come January.

Asian Cup 2019: UAE (Preview)

Bookended by their most successful Asian Cup on foreign soil and their hosting of the competition in January, UAE’s golden generation was supposed to be set to dominate over the last four years, only to come up short in their pursuit of returning to the World Cup for the first time in nearly 30 years. With their glowing stock grinding to a halt through injury and lack of form, their proposed triumphant house party looks to be this generation’s grandest of all missed opportunities.

2015’s Asian Cup third place run from the United Arab Emirates was a delight to witness. A side, full of exuberance and talent, hitting their peak all at the same point, under a manager that knew them inside and out. The feelgood factor on display, especially upon culmination of that emphatic penalty shoot victory over Japan in Sydney has given them a special place in Asian football history. What was supposed to follow, was a dominant four years of progress, where they’d grow from strength to strength. In the end that really hasn’t materialised.

A limp progression through Round 2 of World Cup qualification, trailing behind Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia, Round 3 rounded off their cycle by truly illustrating their squad's deficiencies. The tried and trusted formula implemented by former boss Mahdi Ali had run its course, the nation’s depth or lack of rotation at key points of the campaign left them way off their primary aim of making it to Russia.

Since then, over a year has passed, onto a third manager in that time (Edgardo Bauza’s stint was brief and irrelevant), with former Japan boss Alberto Zaccheroni stepping in to set up the national side for their hosting of the continent’s biggest prize. His tenure has barely got going in truth; sixteen matches in, he’s only accrued four wins, whilst only scoring nine goals (three of which were against Laos). A more than fortunate run to the final of last winter’s Gulf Cup apart, masked what has been to date an uninspiring struggle.

A fair question, would be - who could do a better job? Zaccheroni is a coach with a wealth of experience in Italian football, and while his spell as Japan manager emphatically collapsed in Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, his preparation for the tournament was widely held as a success. He’s tinkered with the Emirati tactics, ran through vast waves of players, widely disregarded by the previous coach, and trusted youth where he can, but little seems to be working.

UAE’s reliance for too long now has focussed on the holy trinity of Omar Abdulrahman, Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout. One being the best Asian player still playing on the continent, two of them former winners of the AFC Player of the Year accolade in the last four years, whilst the other has scored 90 league goals over the last four years since collecting the golden boot at the last Asian Cup. Three players whose rise through the youth ranks side by side promised so much, but over the last cycle has rarely come to fruition in Emirati white.

Despite heavy pressure from an expectant Asian football fanbase post their 2015 success, none made the move to Europe. A wider problem in Emirati football, but keenly felt here when the three best footballers of a generation are refusing to test themselves on the grandest stage, you’d be forgiven in asking yourself who ever will? A loss of form, fitness and in the end a hammer blow of an injury to Abdulrahman on the eve of the tournament, leaves the UAE national side heading to their pinnacle event, in potential ruin.

Replacing Abdulrahman is an unenviable task, given his influence on the side. The style of play, often slow in build-up, possession to feet in the final third, all plays to “Amoory’s” strengths. There are very few players with that sort of quality with their foot on the ball, anywhere in Asia, let alone in the UAE. With no real like-for-like replacement, the likes of Khalfan Mubarak and Saif Rashid have been tested in the run up to the Asian Cup, a shift to a more collective and quick attacking approach is a necessity that must be instilled if Zaccheroni is to make use of his options.

Ahead of them, Khalil, who has drastically been in need of minutes, following a number of ill-advised moves, looks to be returning to form of old upon his homecoming to Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai in the last few months. Mabkhout, the focus of the attack (with 44 in 65 caps), has also shrugged off a couple of limp seasons by his own high standards, to start the current Arabian Gulf League campaign in decent form. If both can transition a replica of their 2015 form to this 2019 edition, two out of the holy trio is considerably better than none.

Through Zaccheroni’s tactical shifting, defensively UAE remain solid. Over Zaccheroni’s 16 matches in charge, 10 clean sheets have been secured, whilst boasting an unblemished goal in competitive competition over that time. The personnel has differed, yet the experience of Ismail Ahmed and the returning form of Mahmoud Khamis in front of the enigmatic but increasingly secure Khalid Eisa, makes for a decent set up that should see them through the early stages.

Considering the draw, UAE will hope to replicate a fellow host nation heading into their own tournament in poor form. At this summer's World Cup, little to no one expected anything of Russia, but a lot of it came courtesy of a favourable group stage draw and a buoyant home support. In the first regard, UAE as seeded hosts will back themselves to win out, especially with a potential lucky loser spot available. Progression as group winners, would also leave them on the easier side of the draw. It’s no wonder hosts usually succeed, is it?

The second point however, is much more of an unknown, and a crucial testing ground of this national team’s legacy. Home support is hardly something you think of when considering Emirati football, and with the continental showpiece heading to their shores, Zaccheroni’s men will hope they can count on their backing to be an extra advantage. With subdued expectations of early ticket sales, with little in the way of marketing being pushed on the ground, this remains a moot point in Asian Cup preparations however.

Key Men

Head Coach - Alberto Zaccheroni (ITA)

Well known Italian manager, who had an extensive career as a club coach in his homeland, before moving to Asia with Japan, who he coached at the 2014 World Cup. Has had a mixed time in charge of UAE, struggling for personnel options, whilst tinkering heavily tactically. Was reportedly close to being sacked in the last few months, only to survive for a lack of credible suitors.

Star Player - Ahmed Khalil

AFC Player of the Year in 2015, the Emirati striker has continued to bring his very best performances when playing for the national team despite struggling domestically. Averaging a goal every other game over a near century of appearances, he’s regularly been the player they can rely upon most for goals. Has found club form and fitness hard to come by in recent years but has now returned to where it all began with Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai.

Under Pressure - Ali Mabkhout

The third pivot of the magical trio, Mabkhout’s domestic success has often been his hindrance on the national stage, failing to regularly deliver since a scintillating Asian Cup in Australia. With Abdulrahman out, and Khalil struggling for fitness, can Mabkhout become the Emiratis talisman and replicate some of his stunning club form, in his nation’s showpiece?

Young Prospect - Khalfan Mubarak

Tasked with replicating Omar Abdulrahman’s output, Khalfan Mubarak’s accelerated reputation needs to ramp up yet another level. The 23-year-old midfielder has given the home fans hope he can go some way to deliver that sort of impact, with undoubted vision, quick interplay and a more direct approach to his play, he could be the stand out young player of the tournament.