AFC Asian Cup 2019: Five midfielders to watch out for

The kickstart of the AFC Asian Cup is just around the corner of the streets. The players including Tim Cahill, Ali Al-Habsi, Shinji Kagawa, and Keisuke Honda will not be taking part in this tournament for the first time in many years.

Midfielders are the most influential players in the middle of the park. Without their proper action, the attackers and defenders will find it hard to cope up against the opponents. Hence, the midfielders are the guitarist in the music band. Without them, there would be no music.

There are several experienced players, and there are tons of youngsters who are standing in the line to make a name for themselves in this competition. Players will rile up in numbers, but coaches will be eager to set up the team properly as the team is built around the midfield.

In this piece, we shall look at the five midfielders who could catch the attention of the world during Asia's biggest stage.

#5 Udanta Singh (India):

Udanta Singh is an explosive winger who is crucial to the setups of India and Bengaluru FC. The Indian International operated through the right flank and has the ability to go past defenders with his breakneck pace, and has a good record of contributing to the final third.

Having taken out the field eleven times for his club this campaign, he has found the back of the net on three different occasions. His link-up play with full-backs and strikers are a treat to watch. His experience with India's talisman Sunil Chhetri will come handy in this tournament.

The 22-year-old has featured for India in the AFC Under-19 Championship Qualification in 2013 and made his debut for the senior squad in 2016 against Iran. India are qualifying for the Asian Cup for the first time in eight years, and Udanta Singh will be cherishing every minute of it to make more memories on the field with his country.

India will play their first game against Thailand on Sunday at the UAE, and Udanta Singh is expected to feature in the starting eleven.

#4 Nguyen Quang Hai (Vietnam):

Playing in the middle of the park, Nguyen Quang Hai is one of the best midfielders available in Asia right now. Vietnam International has been nothing short of exceptional since he made his debut for his nation against Jordan last year.

Currently plying his trade with the Vietnamese top division side Ha Noi FC, he has become the fan favourite of that club by putting in some extraordinary performances. He is a complete package with impeccable technique, breakneck pace, extraordinary vision, eye for goal and in dead ball situations.

Recently he took part in Suzuki Cup and ran the show on plenty of occasions with his tireless running which made life easier for his teammates.

At the age of 21, the amount of maturity he has shown is unbelievable. He is tipped to play for a European club one day should he continue his meteoric growth which has been one of his biggest assets.

#3 Akram Afif (Qatar):

Akram Afif is one of the best talents in Asia. The Qatar International has already featured for Sevilla, Villarreal, and Sporting Gijon at the age of 22. He is one of the best talents the country has ever produced in their whole history.

With the capability to play anywhere across the front line, Afif has earned his name by putting some phenomenal performances for his club and country. It is agreeable that the 22-year-old has struggled at Spain, but the performances he has put in at Asia is nothing short of fascinating.

He has represented all age groups for his nation. He was part of the AFC Under-19 Cup Qualification and 2018 Qualification Rounds, but they were not able to make it count at the biggest stage.

Qatar have never lifted this trophy, and he will be hoping to break the jinx when they take up the field against Lebanon during the first game week.

#2 Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Iran):

Alireza Jahanbakhsh is one of the stars who caught the eyes of several scouts around Europe before featuring in the World Cup. The Iranian forward scored 22 times for AZ Alkmaar last campaign which was good enough to convince Chris Houghton to lure him to Brighton and Hove Albion for a good fee.

The 25-year-old was part of the squad which made it to the Quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup last time, losing to the arch-rivals Iraq in the process. He was also part of the World Cup squad which nearly stunned the group which consisted of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

The hamstring injury has forced Jahanbakhsh into limited action with the English outfit this campaign, and Iran manager Carlos Queiroz said that he would be given every opportunity to prove himself fit for the first game against Yemen on January 7. If he misses out on that game, he is expected to feature in the next two games though.

#1 Son Heung-Min (South Korea):

Son Heung-Min needs no introduction. Representing the English outfit Tottenham Hotspur, the Korean International is in scintillating form and is one of the best Premier League players at the moment.

The 26-year-old has played in various age categories for his nation and has represented the senior team on 74 occasions after earning his debut cap in 2010 against Syria. The former Bayer Leverkusen star has already played in two Asian Cups till date.

He was part of the squad which reached the semi-finals in 2011 and ended as runners-up in 2015. It has been a tough pill to swallow for the Korean International who is looking to take this tournament by storm this time to clear the hurdle and lift the trophy.

It is also understood that Son will miss the first two games of the group stages against the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan due to an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur which was signed beforehand. However, he is expected to feature against China on January 16.

Edited by Vignesh Ananthasubramanian