Among them are 3 Arabs... players who shone in the group stage of the Asian Cup

Iraqi Ayman Hussein tops the scoring charts in Asian Nations with 5 goals (French)

At the conclusion of the group stage of the Asian Nations Football Championship currently being held in Qatar, a group of players stole the spotlight thanks to their remarkable performances and decisive goals with their teams that qualified for the round of 16.

The tournament's quarter-final matches begin next Sunday when Australia meets Indonesia and Tajikistan meets the UAE.

Ayman Hussein...an exceptional scorer

Iraq have been one of the standout teams so far, thanks in large part to Ayman Hussein. 5 goals in 3 matches took the 27-year-old to the top of the scorers list. He scored two goals during Iraq's 2-1 victory over Japan, the strong candidate for the coronation, before the Mesopotamian Lions finished the group stage with 3 victories.

The Air Force striker has a massive physique (one meter and 88 centimetres). With his team trailing 1-0 against Vietnam at the end of the first half, he came on as a substitute in the second half, scoring the equalizing goal and missing a penalty kick, then showing the courage to take a second penalty kick in the 12th minute of stoppage time to give his team a thrilling 3-2 victory.

🔝 Ayman Hussein is at the top of the scorers’ standings with 5⃣ goals #AsiaCup | #AsianCup2023#AsianCup2023 pic.twitter.com/WtsvewRnJp

- beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 26, 2024

Musaab Al-Battat...an inspiring leader

The Palestinian national team captain has proven to be an inspiration on and off the field. The right-back tops the tournament statistics thanks to two assists and 8 chances created.

Al-Battat (30 years old) led his country to victory over Hong Kong 3-0 to achieve its first victory ever in the tournament, as he sent two perfect crosses that ended with two headed goals.

He was also a leader off the field, and the unofficial spokesman for the team that qualified for the next round for the first time in its history despite the ongoing war in Gaza. After achieving this historic achievement, he confirmed that the players fulfilled “the promise we made to the Palestinian people.”

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Akram Afif... the Annabi icon

Striker Afif was one of the stars of Qatar's victory in the 2019 Asian Cup, and it appears that he is following the same path in the edition hosted by his country. Afif (27 years old) scored two goals to lead his team to a 3-0 victory over Lebanon in the opening match, and he also scored again during the hosts and title holders’ victory over Tajikistan 1-0.

Afif played professionally in Belgium and Spain earlier in his career and said he would leave Qatar's Al-Sadd to return to Europe "tomorrow" if given the opportunity.

Scouts of clubs interested in his services will have noticed his speed, dribbling ability and finishing attacks over the past two weeks.

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Mehdi Qaidi...the elusive winger

It was possible for Qaidi not to fulfill the hopes placed on him in a previous period, but he returned to the right track after playing a major role for Iran in the group stage.

The brilliance of this 25-year-old winger, who excels at dribbling, contributed to his country's national team topping its group with 3 victories by scoring two wonderful goals in the Asian Cup. Through its strong performances in the group stage, Iran appears to be a strong candidate to win the title in Qatar, and Qaedi’s brilliance may help it win the crown for the first time since 1976.

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Korean Lee Kang-in...the beating heart

German coach Jurgen Klinsmann, South Korea's coach, made Lee a pivotal player in his squad. He was the French Paris Saint-Germain player who his coach thought well of him. Lee (22 years old) stole the spotlight from his captain, Heung-Min Son, by scoring two goals in the opening match in which South Korea beat Bahrain 3-1, and forced an own goal for his team against Malaysia from a direct free kick. South Korea was generally not convincing in Qatar and will face a difficult match in the eighth final against Saudi Arabia.

But with Lee's brilliance and ability to threaten from long range, the Taeguk Warriors may be able to end a title drought that has lasted since 1960.

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Source: French