Sebastian Hassett , The Sydney Morning Herald , Football reporter
Quick on the ball: Attacking midfielder Ashkan Dejagah will be a threat in Group C for Iran.
FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ashkan Dejagah (Iran)
One to watch: South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min dazzles against Paraguay. Photo: Getty Images
You might have seen Dejagah before, for his two years with Fulham in the English Premier League will have many fans well-aware of his dazzling talents. Granted, they weren’t enough to keep the Cottagers in the top flight, and Dejagah duly swapped the rigours of the Championship for the riches of Al-Arabi. The Qatari club didn’t mind shelling out to get him, either – they had to pay up to $12 million to bring him across. He’s worth every cent. Probably the quickest player on the ball in the entire continent, with his blistering pace on the ball arguably the biggest weapon Iran has at their disposal. Dejagah is at his best when he’s given room to move out wide and he’ll give great service to Iran’s front line, led capably by Reza Ghoochannejhad and Karim Ansarifard. He hasn’t always produced his best form for Team Melli but they certainly need him to this January.
Khalfan Ibrahim (Qatar)
Flashback to 2006 and the Asian football world was more than a little shocked at the AFC awards night when the name Khalfan Ibrahim was named as Asian player of the year. He’d only made his international debut that same year, aged 18, although it was the year Qatar won football gold at the Asian Games and Ibrahim was the key player. He would throw in the occasional starring role thereafter but apart from a blinding 2008-09 season with Al Sadd (scoring 15 goals in 21 games), his potential probably wasn’t being realised. But after rediscovering his scoring boots in 2011, he hasn’t looked back, landing some incredible goals for club and country (his one-man “Maradona” effort against Al-Rayyan is a must-see on YouTube). He’s only ever played for Al-Sadd (his father’s club) but would cut it any league in the world. Expect to find him on the left-side of the attacking front three – and expect to see him dazzling the crowds with his dribbling and finishing.
Son Heung-min (South Korea)
There’s a fine tradition developing of young Korean and Japanese footballers plying their trade in Germany and Son may very well be the best of them. Since swapping Hamburg for the mighty Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, his career has gone from strength to strength. Still only 22, who knows how good he’ll become in the coming years. He’s been linked in the past few weeks with a $38 million switch to the premiership – where Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are said to be potential suitors. Not a bad list of admirers, although Bayern Munich would surely fancy him as potential replacement for their ageing wingers. This is the youngest South Korean team seen for some time and it looms as the most exciting generation since the 2002 side that went all the way to the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil. Without question, Son will be their creative inspiration for years to come.
Keisuke Honda (Japan)
Has probably wrestled back the “best player in Asia” tag after Shinji Kagawa’s recent troubles at club level. After struggling at first in Italy, he’s now adjusted and is arguably the best player at AC Milan and one of the best in Serie A. What makes Honda so good is simple: his razor-sharp technique is up there with the very best in the world. That amazing first touch and control means he is rarely thrown off, even by very physical players. He’s adept as a big-game player and loves the grand stage, as evidenced in winning the Asian Cup golden ball four years ago. He’s now 28 and has only improved as a player since, maturing into a world-class playmaker. Deadly from set-pieces, he’s also a huge goal-scoring threat, and is just as capable splitting open a defence with the deftest of passes. He’s got a certain swagger – confidence or arrogance, depending on your view – that some find off-putting but when you’re this good, why not?
Omar Abdulrahman (United Arab Emirates)
Big hair, bigger talent. Is coming into this tournament under an injury cloud but if he’s anywhere near full-fitness, watch out world. This is the guy who might just change how you think about Middle-Eastern footballers. There are probably only a few clubs in the world who could fork out the transfer fee his club, Al-Ain, will seek. Not that the club’s owner, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, needs to sell a player of his huge talent – although Manchester City (also owned by Abu Dhabi royal family) are tracking him and may be an obvious fit. The worry is that he hasn’t played since picking up an ankle injury in the Gulf Cup semi-final against Saudi Arabia in November and has scarcely trained since. Be hopeful he’s feeling on his game: his ability to control a match makes him a contender to knock off Honda and co as the best player in Asia. In this Asian Cup, the Emirates’ destiny lands on his shoulders.