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Asian Cup 2004

Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Asian Cup Schedule

China will host the 2004 Asian Cup from July 17 - August 7.
The host cities are Beijing, Chengdu, Jinan & Chongqing.

The Asian Cup was first held in 1956 and the 2004 Asia Cup will be the 13th staging of the tournament. The winner of the Asian Cup will represent the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany in 2005.

John Duerden previews the 2004 Asian Cup

Group A

China

The hosts will have a lot of pressure on them especially after a very disappointing 2002 World Cup. China failed to even score a goal against Brazil, Turkey and Costa Rica. Bahrain, Indonesia and Qatar will be surely prove to be more accommodating and although the coach has demanded a place in the final. That will probably be beyond this strong, physical outfit, although recent victories against Algeria and Hungary suggest that progress is being made.

Key Player: Experienced striker Hao Haidong is still banging them in for his club, Dalian Shide, and the 33-year old could be a good bet to be the top scorer.

Prediction: Last eight should be quite achievable. Fervent home support could push them a little further.

Qatar

Phillipe Troussier was the coach of Japan during the last World Cup so knows all about Far Eastern tournaments. It is unlikely that Qatar will emulate Japan's achievement of progressing past the group stage. A recent morale-boosting 5-0 victory over fellow Asian Cup participants, Turkmenistan would sound better if it had not been followed by a goalless draw against Kyrgyzstan.

Key Player: Inspirational skipper, Mubarak Mustafa

Prediction: Will find it tough to finish above China and Bahrain, a win in the opening game against Indonesia is vital.

Bahrain

The runners–up to Saudi Arabia at the Gulf Cup are a fast improving if somewhat inconsistent team.
This young team could find themselves engaged in a fascinating battle with fellow Gulf state, Qatar. Unlike the Qataris, Bahrain recently knocked five past Kyrgyzstan.

Key Player: Ala'a Hebail, is currently the top scorer in the Asian World Cup qualifying groups and will be hoping he can maintain his current form.

Prediction: Should just shade second place to reach the quarters and will be satisfied with that.

Indonesia

Finished second as they were grouped with Bhutan and Yemen. Two thrashings by group winners Saudi Arabia is a better reflection of their prospects for the Asian Cup. As the Dutch East Indies, Indonesia was Asia's first World Cup representatives. This will remain their claim to fame for some time yet. That was in 1938 and the second round will seem just as far away.

Prediction: They'll be dancing in the streets of Jakarta if they finish third in the group, probably.

Key Player: Striker Ellie Aiboy

Group B

Korea

Many people's favourites to win the competition for the first time since 1960, but the team that finished fourth in the last World Cup have never looked like recapturing that form in the past two years. The departure of Humberto Coelho as coach is testament to that as is the second-place finish behind Oman in the qualifying stage. The appointment of new coach Jo Bonfrere has hardly set Korea alight and the lack of time to get to know his squad (already picked for him by the KFA) will be a disadvantage. Still, Korea are hard to beat and do have some talented players. The form of the European based-players will be crucial.

Kim Nam-il, Song Chong-gug and Yoo Sang-chul, all World Cup stars will head much further west to Athens to participate in the Olympics. This is a shame for the Asian Cup and the KFA could yet regret the decision.

Key Player: Korea's problem is a lack of goals, if they find a goalscorer they could win, its time for the mercurial Ahn Jung-hwan to put in the performances that his ability demands.

Prediction: Should reach the semis but don't look like Champions.

Korea exit the Asian Cup

Kuwait

The 1980 Champions beat Korea in the group stage of the 2000 Asian Cup. Mohammed Ibrahim's inconsistent team will do well to repeat the feat this year. The Kuwaitis won the qualifying group easily finishing above Qatar, Singapore and Palestine. Group B may not be the ‘group of death' but a top two finish will prove much harder to achieve.

Prediction: Can be tricky opponents but unlikely to progress.

Key Player: Inspirational skipper Bashar Abdullah

Jordan

Impressively finished level on points with Iran in qualifying and recently beat them in World Cup qualifying. Jordan's Egyptian boss Mahmoud Al Jouhari coached Egypt in the 1990 World Cup and will hope to go one better than Egypt's first round exit. This may be Jordan's first experience in this competition but the team that has surged into FIFA's top 50 rankings have the talent to upset a few teams as two impressive wins over the talented Iraqis at the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championships testify. Although a semi-final defeat against Syria suggests that Al Jouhari still has some work to do.

Prediction: Last Eight

Key Player: Playmaker Moayad Mansour

United Arab Emirates

The UAE haven't impressed recently. A poor Gulf Cup in January led to the departure of Roy Hodgson and the Gulf State's fans were unhappy at finishing second to Turkmenistan in the qualifying group. Hodgson's replacement Jean Francois Jodar lasted until June 10th as Dutchman Aad De Mos has taken control off the team, which, according to reports was against the wishes of the players.

Prediction: Recent upheavals have made a tough job even tougher, a first round exit is in store.

Key Player: Al Wahda's prodigious 20-year-old striker Ismail Matar could be the ‘Rooney' of the Asian Cup.

Group C

Iraq

Everyone's second favourite team surprised a few in qualifying, especially Bahrain, beating the favourites 5-1. For obvious reasons, Iraq had no home games, making the fact that they topped the group all the more impressive. The boys from Baghdad and Basra won't be in Beijing to make up the numbers and have the ability to surprise a few more people, though recent results have been mixed. Unfortunately for the Iraqis, German coach of two years, Bernd Stange quit his post less than two weeks before the tournament begins, citing the worsening security situation in Iraq, claiming it would be impossible to continue.

Key Player: Should comfortably reach the last eight.

Prediction: Skilful striker Emad Mohammed

Saudi Arabia

The Saudis know this competition well, having reached the final five times, the last time in 2000, losing to Japan. The qualifying group was a breeze, six wins out of six but only to be expected against the likes of Bhutan, Yemen and Qatar. It is unlikely the three-time Asian Champions will be severely tested until the quarter finals. A win would go some way to erasing the memories of a terrible world cup in Japan two years ago.

Prediction: The semis

Key Player: Yussri Bashra will be hoping to add to his growing reputation for scoring goals.

Turkmenistan

Central Asia's two representatives have been placed in the same group. They may have to be satisfied with winning bragging rights in the region. Of the two, Turkmenistan have the best chance of progressing. Confidence was high after winning the qualifying group undefeated, performing well to finish above more highly fancied UAE and Syria.

However, a recent 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Qatar, hardly the Gulf's best team, is not the kind of preparation that they would have wished for.

Prediction: The Turkmen did well to qualify but their time has not yet arrived.

Key Player: Striker Didarklych Urazov could raise a few eyebrows as well as his profile.

Uzbekistan

Finished above Thailand to win the qualifying group but may not be able to choose from some talented European based players who could start the season with their clubs instead - Dynamo Kiev hit-man Maxim Shatskikh, is the best-known but the Lokomotiv Moscow duo of midfielder Vladimir Maminov and defender Oleg Pashinin just as influential. The Uzbekis lost 5-0 to Saudi Arabia at the last Asian Cup, held four years ago in the Lebanon but even though revenge is a dish best served cold, Uzbekistan will have to wait longer to beat the Saudis.

Prediction: Will be happy to win Central Asian bragging rights.

Key Player: If he plays, exciting midfielder Vladimir Maminov

Group D

Iran

Iran's heyday was in the late sixties and seventies when the Asian Cup was paraded around Teheran three times. Unfortunately for Croatian Coach Branko Ivankovic, one of Iran's best players, Bayern Munich's new signing, Vahid Hashemian is refusing to play.

No matter, there is still a wealth of talent to choose from, including Mehdi Mahdavikia, the Asian Player of the Year 2003 who had a great season last time round for Hamburg and created the most assists in the Bundesliga since records began. In with a shout but could be too far from home.

Prediction: Injuries could prevent a fourth victory but will go close.

Key Player: Ali Deai, the highest international goalscorer in history.

Japan

Zico's boys are the defending champions but haven't really played that way for a while. Rumours of indiscipline in the squad haven't helped. Recently however, the boys from Nippon are looking better, having embarked on a ten-match unbeaten run. An impressive victory over the Czechs in Prague and the better of a draw against England shows that the Champions will again be the team to beat.
Unfortunately for the squad, Feyenoord's Shinji Ono will go to Athens and not Chengdu.

Prediction: If the injury situation improves, Japan have what it takes to successfully defend their title.

Key Player: Forward Keiji Tamada (Kashima Reysol)

Oman

Czech coach Milan Macala has just signed a new contract with the Gulf State's football authorities and it is not difficult to see why. An impressive qualifying campaign had Macala's team finishing three points above Korea. Despite this, it is difficult to envisage Oman repeating the feat to oust Iran or Japan. However, if there is a shock in the first round. This could be it.

Prediction: The athletic Omanis are improving all the time but it is unlikely they have enough in the locker to upset the group favourites.

Key Player: Striker Bader Mubarak

Thailand

Peter Withe's old team are the current holders of the Tiger Cup, South-east Asia's regional competition. An indifferent qualifying campaign, coupled with being drawn in a tough group suggests that despite some good players and a passionate following, Thailand will finish firmly in bottom place. Confidence is low in Bangkok following a 4-1 defeat in North Korea, which means that dreams of reaching Germany in 2006 are almost over before they began. The subsequent resignation of Brazilian coach, Carlos Carvalho, has deepened the gloom at Thai football HQ.

Prediction: Even before the recent problems, the Thais were going to struggle to finish above bottom.

Key Player: Therdsak Chaiman, inspirational midfielder and the ‘Player of the tournament' in last season‘s Asian Champions League, has just returned from injury.

Asian Cup Schedule & Results

First Round

Sat, July 17
Beijing - Opening Ceremony, 18:30
Beijing - Group A: China 2 v Bahrain 2, 20:00 (1)
Sun, July 18
Beijing - Group A: Qatar 1 v Indonesia 2, 17:00 (2)
Chengdu - Group C: Saudi Arabia 2 v Turkmenistan 2, 18:45 (3)
Chengdu - Group C: Iraq 0 v Uzbekistan 1, 21:15 (4)
Mon, July 19
Jinan - Group B: Korea Rep 0 v Jordan 0, 18:30 (5)
Jinan - Group B: Kuwait 3 v United Arab Emirates 1, 21:00 (6)
Tue, July 20
Chongqing - Group D: Japan 1 v Oman 0, 18:00 (7)
Chongqing - Group D: Iran 3 v Thailand 0, 20:30 (8)
Wed, July 21
Beijing - Group A: Bahrain 1 v Qatar 1, 18:30 (9)
Beijing - Group A: Indonesia 0 v China 5, 21:00 (10)
Thu, July 22
Chengdu - Group C: Turkmenistan 2 v Iraq 3, 18:30 (11)
Chengdu - Group C: Uzbekistan 1 v Saudi Arabia 0, 21:00 (12)
Fri, July 23
Jinan - Group B: Jordan 2 v Kuwait 0, 18:30 (13)
Jinan - Group B: United Arab Emirates 0 v Korea Rep 2, 21:00 (14)
Sat, July 24
Chongqing - Group D: Oman 2 v Iran 2, 18:00 (15)
Chongqing - Group D: Thailand 1 v Japan 4, 20:30 (16)
Sun, July 25
Beijing - Group A: China 1 v Qatar 0, 19:00 (17)
Jinan - Group A: Bahrain 3 v Indonesia 1, 19:00 (18)
Mon, July 26
Chengdu - Group C: Saudi Arabia 1 v Iraq 2, 19:00 (19)
Chongqing - Group C: Turkmenistan 0 v Uzbekistan 1, 19:00 (20)
Tue, July 27
Beijing - Group B: Jordan 0 v United Arab Emirates 0, 19:00 (21)
Jinan - Group B: Korea Rep 4 v Kuwait 0, 19:00 (22)
Wed, July 28
Chengdu - Group D: Oman 2 v Thailand 0, 18:15 (23)
Chongqing - Group D: Japan 0 v Iran 0, 18:15 (24)

Quarter Finals

Fri, July 30
Beijing - 1st Gp A v 2nd Gp C, 21:00 (25)
China 3 Iraq 0

Chengdu - 1st Gp C v 2nd Gp A, 18:00 (26)
Uzbekistan 2 Bahrain 2 (Bahrain 3-2 pens.) Sat, July 31

Jinan - 1st Gp B v 2nd Gp D, 21:00 (27)
Korea 3 Iran 4

Chongqing - 1st Gp D v 2nd Gp B, 18:00 (28)
Japan 1 Joran 1 (Japan 4-3 pens.)

Semi-finals

Tue, August 3
Beijing - Winner (25) v Winner (27), 21:00 (29)
China 1 v Iran 1
(China win 4-3 on pens.)
Jinan - Winner (26) v Winner (28), 18:00 (30)
Bahrain 3 v Japan 4

3rd/4th Place Play-off

Fri, August 6
Beijing - Loser (29) v Loser (30), 20:00
Iran 4 v Bahrain 2

Final

Sat, August 7
Beijing - Winner (29) v Winner (30), 20:00
China 1 v Japan 3

Japan are the 2004 Asian Champions.

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