What you need to know about the Asian Cup? Favorites, format, key dates

The Asian Cup in football kicks off on Friday, January 12. This tournament garners less interest among neutral fans compared to the African Cup of Nations, which will be held simultaneously. Nevertheless, the teams competing for the title of the strongest team in the Asian continent have enough star players in their ranks. In this article, DailySports offers its readers an insight into the tournament's venues and its main favorites.

• Read on: How will the African Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup affect Premier League clubs?

Where and in which stadiums will the 2023 Asian Cup take place?

This competition will be the 18th football tournament among national teams who are members of the Asian Football Confederation. Initially, China was set to host the tournament, but in May 2022, the country withdrew due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Qatar was then chosen as the host nation, having recently hosted the FIFA World Cup and thus possessing the necessary infrastructure for such an event. Notably, Qatar's national team will be defending the Asian champion title.

Matches of the tournament will be held at nine stadiums that were part of the last World Cup. The main arena will be the Lusail Stadium, which underwent reconstruction after the World Cup. Although the overall capacity was reduced, the stadium remains the country's largest and will host the final match.

What is the format of the final stage of the Asian Cup, and how many teams will participate?

The tournament will feature the 24 strongest national teams from the continent. Qatar earned a spot in the final stage as the host nation, while 23 other teams went through a qualification tournament that was partially combined with the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

All participants are divided into six groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16, alongside four teams with the best performances among those finishing third in their groups. Subsequently, teams will progress through the tournament in a knockout format to determine the continent's best team.

What are the group compositions following the draw?

Group A: Qatar, China, Tajikistan, Lebanon

Among the participants in this group, we highlight the Tajikistan national team as the only debutant in the tournament. The strong teams of Qatar and China are expected to comfortably secure the top two positions.

Group B: Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, India

Here, too, there are two clear favorites in Australia and Uzbekistan. Interestingly, the Syrian national team is currently led by former Inter Milan and Valencia coach, Hector Cuper. The Indian national team is unlikely to contend for advancement from the group stage.

Group C: Iran, UAE, Hong Kong, Palestine

The Iranian national team clinched bronze in the previous Asian Cup, while the United Arab Emirates' national team is led by the renowned Portuguese coach, Paulo Bento. Additionally, it's worth noting that Hong Kong's national team will make its first appearance in this tournament in 50 years.

Group D: Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, Vietnam

In Group D, the main favorites of the competition will compete, and Iraq is considered the primary contender for the second spot in the playoffs. It's worth noting that Indonesia will participate in the Asian Cup for the first time since 2007.

Group E: South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain

Experts are confidently giving the top spot to the Korean team and anticipate that Jordan and Bahrain will compete for advancement to the Round of 16. It's worth mentioning that the head coach of the South Korean national team is Jürgen Klinsmann. In 2006, the coach won bronze with the German national team at the World Cup hosted in their country. Bahrain's team, on the other hand, is led by Juan Pizzi, who triumphed with Chile in the Copa America 7 years ago.

Group F: Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Oman

Roberto Mancini recently led Italy to triumph at the European Championship, but he left his post in the summer and took over the Saudi Arabian national team. It will be interesting to see how far the Saudi team, under the guidance of the legendary Italian, can progress in the tournament's bracket.

What is the tournament schedule and the key dates?

The Asian Cup 2023 starts on Friday, January 12, with Qatar facing Lebanon. The group stage will end on January 25, followed by the start of the knockout phase three days later. Quarterfinal matches are scheduled for February 2-3, and the finalists will be determined on February 6-7. The final will take place on February 10, with no third-place match.

• Group stage - January 12th to 25th
• Round of 16 - January 28th to 31st
• Quarter-finals - February 2nd to 3rd
• Semi-finals - February 6th to 7th
• Final - February 10th

Who is the main contender to win the 2023 Asian Cup?

The main favorite for the tournament according to bookmakers is the Japanese national team, which has an excellent lineup. Among the footballers called up to the national team, there are some well-known names, and many players represent top European clubs. Takumi Minamino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Wataru Endo, Ayase Ueda, Takefusa Kubo, Kiego Furuhashi are the main stars of the team.

The Qatari and Australian teams also have good chances for the title. And it's worth considering South Korea's national team, led by the captain of Tottenham Hotspur, Son Heung-Min.

Here are the main favorites according to bookmakers:

• Japan - 3.44
• Australia and Qatar - 6
• South Korea and Iran - 6.5
• Saudi Arabia - 7