<div> <div>Over the years, the tournament has featured players who have inspired their countries to one of Asian football’s most prestigious titles and finished the campaign not only as a champion but also with the Most Valuable Player accolade.</div> <div> </div> <div>From Amjad Kalaf’s stunning display in the first-ever tournament to Ayman Yahya dazzling in 2022, <em><strong>the-AFC.com</strong></em> looks back at the five players who have been named the AFC U23 Asian Cup MVP.</div> </div>
<div> <div>The tournament also serves as the Olympics qualifier with the top three teams earning a place in Paris 2024 while the fourth-placed side will face Guinea in a playoff.</div> <div><br />However, Byeon does not want his teammates to be fixated on reaching the Olympics but to emulate the 2020 squad who won the AFC U23 Asian Cup in Thailand.</div> </div>
<div> <div>With the tournament, which kicks off on April 15, also serving as the pathway to the Olympic Games, Kapadze expects Uzbekistan to be challenging for the title as well as a place in Paris 2024. </div> </div>
<div>As the teams enter their final phase of preparations and excitement begins to build, <em><strong>the-AFC.com</strong></em> takes a look at some interesting facts and figures from the previous editions of the tournament.</div>