SUPERSTAR SON TO PLAY ONLY ONE FIRST ROUND GAME
2002 World Cup semifinalists South Korea still the big favourites to win Group C
SOUTH KOREA LOOK TO END 59-YEAR WAIT
Since his appointment in August, Paulo Bento has had little time to get to grips with the job but with the Koreans unbeaten in his six matches in charge, optimism is building ahead of their opener against the Philippines. South Korea’s task in the group stage has been made more difficult due to the absence of captain Son Heung-min, who will sit out the first two games under an agreement with Tottenham. However, the Koreans should still have enough firepower to see them through to the knockout stage, with striker Hwang Ui-jo enjoying a rich vein of form and Ki Sung-yueng impressing at the heart of the Newcastle United midfield.
QUESTION MARKS HANG OVER CHINA
When Marcello Lippi took charge of China’s troubled national team a little over two years ago, hopes were high the World Cup-winning Italian could kick-start a long-overdue return to the upper tier of Asian football. But, as the septuagenarian’s tenure draws to a close at January’s Asian Cup finals in the United Arab Emirates, the question is whether Lippi has made much of a difference at all. While the former Juventus coach oversaw an upturn in fortunes in the early days of his reign, China go into the tournament in the midst of an indifferent run of form.
KYRGYZSTAN PIN HOPES ON STARS
Kyrgyzstan will be making their first appearance at the Asian Cup finals having qualified for the tournament from a group that featured India, Macau and Myanmar. The former Soviet Republic gained membership of the Asian Football Confederation in 1994 and lack experience at continental level. They have enjoyed a mixed build-up, but talented performers such as Anton Zemlianukhin and Vitaly Lux enhance their hopes of a place in the knockout rounds. But it will be tough test for Aleksandr Krestinin’s team which find themselves in Group C with the 2002 World Cup semifinalists South Korea, Marcello Lippi’s China and Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Philippines.
PHILIPPINES ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s surprise appointment as coach made headlines around the world and now the basket ball mad nation is hoping the impact of the Swede’s arrival can last beyond the Asian Cup finals. The Azkals will play in the continental championship for the first time but it was the appointment of the former England manager on a shortterm contract in October that grabbed global attention for Philippine football. Eriksson’s resume speaks for itself, the 70-year-old winning the Serie A title with Lazio in 2000 before guiding England to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002 and 2006. It is the country’s ability to lure a coach with Eriksson’s track record that has made the football world take notice.