The bid to qualify for the biggest and best AFC Asian Cup - which will have an expanded 24 sides vying for glory - saw 46 teams in the fray, beginning with 12 countries in the first round of the Qualifiers back in March 2015.

Six teams then progressed to the second round, and by March of the following year, 12 teams - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Qatar, China PR, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Syria, Thailand, Iraq, Korea Republic and Uzbekistan - had confirmed qualification to UAE 2019 and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced a list of 23 players who will train in Ulsan to prepare for UAE 2019, which is scheduled to kick off in the United Arab Emirates on January 5.

The KFA said the players will assemble next Tuesday and train until December 20. Typically, the KFA calls up national players two weeks ahead of the tournament, but it recently reached an agreement with the K League, the operator of the country's pro football leagues, to allow local clubs to release their players early for the national team.

Despite being just 22, Akram Afif already has playing experience in Belgium and Spain, the Qatari midfielder will look to cement his status as one of Asia's top talents during January's AFC Asian Cup.

 

Nationality: Qatar
Date of birth: 18/11/1996
Position: Midfield
Current club: Al Sadd (Qatar)
Previous clubs: Eupen (Belgium), Villarreal, Sporting Gijon (both Spain)

The Southeast Asian nation had never previously qualified for the AFC Asian Cup, having appeared as co-hosts in 2007 (South Vietnam played in 1956 and 1960), but Quang Hai and his teammates have raised hopes that the current generation could go on to achieve something special.

Nationality: Vietnam
Date of birth: 12/04/1997
Position: Midfield
Current club: Hanoi FC (Vietnam)
Previous club: Saigon FC (Vietnam)

Syria were very close to making the FIFA World Cup for the first time, but they fell in the Continental playoff, with Australia going on to become Asia's fifth representative in Russia 2018. A "golden generation" spearheaded by Khribin and his strike partner Omar Al Somah looks to make amends in UAE 2019.

Nationality: Syria
Date of birth: 15/01/1994
Position: Striker
Current club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Previous clubs: Al Wahda (Syria), Air Force Club, Al Mina’ (Iraq), Al Dhafra (UAE)

"The Iraqi league is now on a break for 40 days, 20 days for the training camp in Qatar and 20 days for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 - this is a vital time for the national side," says the man who skippered the side at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup in Lebanon.

"Because our domestic league is not at its strongest level in recent times, I feel the players may find it difficult to raise their game to match the standard of the Asian Cup."

India have booked their place amongst Asia's top 24 national teams thanks in a large part to Sunil Chhetri, who - even at the age of 34- continues to be unrivalled as the country's best player and widely acknowledged as the finest footballer it has ever produced.

Nationality: India
Date of birth: 03/08/1984
Position: Striker
Current club: JSW Bengaluru (India)
Previous clubs: Mohun Bagan, JCT, East Bengal, Dempo, Chirag United, Churchill Brothers, Mumbai City (All India); Sporting B (Portugal)

Never has the sound of a football cannoning off the woodwork sounded as loud as it did on the evening of December 21, 1996 as the 60,000 fans present at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sport City were reduced to utter silence, watching their team’s top goalscorer in the tournament hit the post from 12 yards.

The finest of margins had just denied the UAE a historic victory in the final of the 1996 AFC Asian Cup against neighbours Saudi Arabia. Hassan Saeed was still holding his head in his hands, the 50 yard-walk to the halfway line feeling like a thousand miles as Khalid Al Muallad slotted home the winning penalty for the Green Falcons.