AFC Asian Cup 2023

Some of Asia's biggest names turned on the style on Matchdays Three and Four of the qualifying campaign, while several hat-tricks and some notable displays at the back were among the highlights of the double-headers.

As the AFC Asian Qualifiers now take a two-month break before returning in early June, the-AFC.com looks back at some of the players who caught the eye in the recent internationals.

The players will now focus on their club commitments before converging again in June for the final two rounds of matches.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at five things we learned from Matchday Four.

A fourth straight win sealed their progress into the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and booked their ticket to the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

The head coach, who steered Iran to the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, was unhappy at the profligacy that could have been costly for Team Melli.

The win ensured Kyrgyz Republic stayed on top of the standings with nine points, ahead of Oman on goal difference, with Chinese Taipei remaining bottom.

Confidence was dented in the Syrian camp following the 1-1 draw in Yangon on Thursday but at the same time, the result also acted as a motivation according to Irandust.

All three goals were scored in a space of four minutes late in the game with Almoez Ali’s double doing the trick for the reigning AFC Asian Cup champions, confirming them as Group A winners with two matches to spare.

The 69-year-old Frenchman leaves the post with immediate effect and his departure comes less than a year after he took over as the full-time replacement for Park Hang-seo.

Needing a late goal to secure a home win in Basra on Thursday, it was a completely different scenario at Rizal Memorial Stadium as Iraq raced to a 3-0 first half lead in a commanding performance which took them to a perfect 12 points.

A 3-0 win over Thailand took Korea Republic, who have qualified for every edition of the FIFA World Cup since 1986, to 10 points leaving them only needing one more from their remaining two matches to confirm progression.

Lee Jae-sung, Son Heung-min and Park Jin-seop scored as Korea Republic bounced back in style after being 1-1 by Thailand in Thursday's reverse fixture.

Despite getting off to a fast start with Kusini Yengi giving them a second minute lead, Australia struggled to put away their chances for the remainder of the first half.

Arnold's intervention at half-time sparked the reaction the head coach wanted, with an own goal doubling their lead two minutes into the restart.

Craig Goodwin then struck twice in between John Iredale scoring his first goal for Australia to confirm their place in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 ticket.

This impressive mark obliterates the previous record of 890 million impressions that was set during the 2019 tournament in the United Arab Emirates by almost nine times and only serves to further underline the remarkable support showcased by the Continent’s passionate football audience.

With dramatic late winners, notable upsets, fabulous goals and unique celebrations, the competition delivered the goods in emphatic fashion as hosts Qatar ultimately defended their title to be crowned champions after a 3-1 win over Jordan in the final.

Looking back at the tournament, the-AFC.com has selected eight of the best Visit Saudi Magic Moments and asks you, the fans, to vote for the favourite at the bottom of this article.

Fans of Asian football witnessed wonderful assists leading to memorable goals and in this segment, the-AFC.com asks you, the fans, to vote for your favourite assist at the foot of the article.

A total of 132 goals were scored in 51 matches across the country at a ratio of 2.59 per match. The-AFC.com selects eight of the finest strikes from the tournament and asks you, the fans, to vote for your favourite at the foot of the article.

Segrt, who assumed the post in March 2022, took Tajikistan to historic highs by qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup™ for the first time and breaking into the top 100 of the FIFA World Ranking.

Tajikistan’s rise continued in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, where they advanced to the quarter-finals before losing 1-0 to Jordan in the quarter-finals.

After Qatar’s win over Jordan in the final saw the Maroons defend their title, the-AFC.com now looks back on the tournament and asks you, the fans, to determine the standout NEOM Future Star of the Tournament.

We’ve selected 10 nominees who delivered eye-catching performances throughout the AFC Asian Cup, so review the list and don’t forget to vote for your favourite NEOM Future Star at the bottom of the article.

Spaniard Pizzi took over the role vacated by Helio Sousa after the end of his contract in July 2023 and was in charge of Bahrain at the recent AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™.

The Korea Football Association made the announcement on Friday following a two-and-a-half hour meeting at their headquarters in Seoul, which was led by KFA president Chung Mong-gyu.

There were several standout performers in another historic chapter of Asia’s most prestigious competition as we break down the statistics to review some of the key categories and those who excelled in them.

Akram Afif was Qatar’s hero as his hat-trick of penalties defeated the tournament’s surprise package Jordan 3-1 and won the Maroons their second AFC Asian Cup title in front of more than 86,000 fans at Lusail Stadium.

As the dust begins to settle on another glorious campaign for Qatar, the-AFC.com reviews a memorable final by taking a closer look at some of the key facts and stats that caught the eye.

The hosts produced a dominant display from start to finish with Akram Afif netting a hat-trick of penalties to seal the victory at a packed Lusail Stadium, a victory which meant back-to-back AFC Asian Cup titles for Qatar.

Having gatecrashed the final with a series of scintillating performances, Jordan could produce only some of the form that had taken them within one match of winning the title as Qatar powered to their second successive title with a 3-1 win.

The AS Roma player, currently on loan at Cagliari, missed the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ through injury but is available again to give Srecko Katanec more attacking options.

Having collected four points from their opening two matches, head coach Katanec is determined for Uzbekistan to collect maximum points from their double header with Hong Kong, China.