AFC Asian Cup 2019 Images

Having arrived in the United Arab Emirates with an already burgeoning reputation, the livewire forward went on to find the net a record nine times – the last of which was a particularly magical moment in the final – and be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

That accolade, along with the award for finishing as top goalscorer, was roundly applauded, a nod to Ali’s prowess following a campaign which saw him shine brightly yet again for Felix Sanchez’s charges as they claimed Qatar’s first-ever AFC Asian Cup crown.

UAE 2019 was a resounding success with 24 teams competing for honours with Qatar ultimately emerging champions after defeating Japan 3-1 in the final.

The Post Tournament Report provides a comprehensive breakdown of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.

POST TOURNAMENT REPORT

TECHNICAL REPORT AND STATISTICS

UAE 2019 IN NUMBERS

UAE 2019 - THE PASSION AND THE GLORY (PHOTOBOOK)

With the second round of the Asian Qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 kicking off on September 5, the-AFC.com presents the most comprehensive History Book on the Continent's premier national team competition.

The History Book contains the updated results, leading scorers and other important statistics following the conclusion of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.

Click here to read.

The 17th edition of the Continental championship was the biggest-ever AFC Asian Cup with an expansion from 16 to 24 teams, with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system also being introduced from the quarter-final stage..

The report offers a summary of the tournament, which was held across eight stadiums in four cities, from the opening match between hosts United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, to the grand finale, where Qatar beat Japan 3-1 to clinch their first-ever AFC Asian Cup title.

The South American giants are among a list of teams Qatar are trying to secure matches against - others include Colombia, Panama and the USA - ahead of their first Copa America appearance.

"We need to finalise the preparations but sure we need to play a couple of games," said head coach Felix Sanchez on the sidelines of an award ceremony for the winning squad in Doha.

"We prepare a list of potential teams that we would like to play against but also we need to see their availability."

The K League 1 club said Cong Phuong agreed to a one-year loan deal and will join Incheon from Vietnamese side Hoang Anh Gia Lai.

Cong Phuong has been one of the key players for the Vietnamese national football team led by head coach Park Hang-seo.

The 24-year-old helped Vietnam win the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup and reach the quarter-finals at the recent AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019. He scored two goals in five matches at the AFC Asian Cup.

Cong Phuong will be the second Vietnamese to play in the K League 1 after Luong Xuan Truong, who had loan stints with Incheon and Gangwon FC from 2016 to 2017.

SAFF's has given its Technical Committee the mandate to hire a new national head coach.

The SAFF said in a statement: “The board has entrusted during its meeting on Monday, the Technical Committee to take over the choice of the next coach of the Saudi National Team, according to the standards to suit the needs of the coming period.

“The Board reviewed the governance system, the organisational structure, the tasks and responsibilities of the standing and judicial committees and the working mechanisms therein, in order to raise the level of the efficiency and quality of performance in its work.”

Nguyen, who was one of the revelations of UAE 2019, struck his sublime free-kick in the 38th minute of the Group D match against Yemen, which Vietnam won 2-0 to seal a place in the knockout stage.

It was also voted as the best goal of the group stage while teammate Nguyen Cong Phuong's effort against Jordan received the highest number of votes for the Round of 16.

Queiroz's appointment had long been expected but Colombia had to wait until the end of the recently-concluded AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 for the Portuguese's contract with Islamic Republic of Iran to run out.

He has signed a four-year contract and his first major task will be to lead Colombia at the June-July Copa America in Brazil.

He said his aim would be to "look after the proud history and the reputation Colombia has today in the world".

Qatar improved to 55th, just missing out on their best ever FIFA World Ranking of 53.

Japan, whose bid for a fifth AFC Asian Cup title was thwarted by Qatar in the final, also saw a surge in their ranking as they improved by 23 spots to 27 to sit behind Iran, who improved by seven to move up to 22.

Qatar's improvement was expected as six of the seven teams they defeated en route to winning the AFC Asian Cup title were recorded against sides who were ranked higher than the Maroons going into UAE 2019.

Qatar, having never advanced beyond the quarter-finals in their previous appearances in the Continental showpiece, were a revelation in UAE 2019 as Felix Sanchez's team recorded seven wins to emerge champions on February 1.

Four of the seven wins were recorded against former AFC Asian Cup winners - Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Korea Republic and Japan - and Xavi said it was just reward for the efforts the Qatar Football Association (QFA) had put in preparing the team.