Australia is the reigning Asian Cup champion, having defeated South Korea to win the 2015 tournament. However, that was four years ago. In recent years, Australia has not achieved outstanding results, and some might even say their performance has been on the decline.
At the 2018 World Cup, although Australia was in a relatively manageable group alongside France, Peru, and Denmark, they could only manage a draw against Denmark, ending up last in the group and heading home early.
In the 2019 Asian Cup, Australia faced a rocky start, losing to Jordan, a team not even participating in the World Cup and ranked 109th by FIFA (68 places below Australia). Most recently, Australia was defeated by Vietnam in the knockout stage. Finishing second in the group, Australia will face Uzbekistan, a formidable West Asian team. This match will be a critical test for Australia to prove they are still a contender for the 2019 Asian Cup title.
Australia National Team
Qatar is a representative of West Asian football and also the host nation for the upcoming 2022 World Cup. This will be Qatar's first-ever appearance in the tournament.
Qatar enters the 2019 Asian Cup as the reigning champion of the 2014 West Asian Football Cup. Their best performance at the Asian Cup has been reaching the quarterfinals. Despite this, Qatar triumphed over Saudi Arabia, winning all their group-stage matches and finishing at the top of their group. Alongside Japan and South Korea, Qatar was one of the three teams to win every match in the group stage.
In the knockout round, Qatar will face Iraq – another West Asian team and a rival who won the Asian Cup in 2007.
Qatar National TeamSaudi Arabia is one of the five Asian teams that qualified for the 2018 World Cup, alongside Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Iran. However, Saudi Arabia only managed a single victory against Egypt, suffered a 0-5 loss to the host nation Russia, and failed to make it past the group stage.
With three Asian Cup titles under their belt and a solid World Cup history, Saudi Arabia surprisingly lost to Qatar, forcing them to finish second in their group and set up a tough knockout match against Japan in the upcoming round.
Saudi Arabia National TeamIraq is another representative of West Asian football, and the team once won the Asian Cup in 2007. In the 2019 Asian Cup, Iraq gained a significant advantage after coming from behind to win 3-2 against Vietnam, putting them in a strong position to progress further. However, Iraq only finished second in their group and now faces Qatar in the knockout round. This will be a balanced and tough match, and Iraq must stay focused to secure victory.
Iraq National TeamWith the advantage of being the host nation, UAE (United Arab Emirates) is also ranked among the Top 10 strongest teams in the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers. The best result for UAE at the Asian Cup was as runners-up in 1996. In 2015, UAE secured third place after defeating Iraq.
Although they faced difficulties advancing past the group stage in the 2019 Asian Cup, drawing with Bahrain and Thailand, UAE remains a formidable opponent due to their home advantage and will undoubtedly be a strong contender in the tournament.
UAE National TeamHaving participated in the 2002 World Cup when Japan and South Korea co-hosted, and with a runner-up finish at the Asian Cup, China is a team not to be underestimated in the 2019 Asian Cup. In the group stage, China secured second place after losing to South Korea in the final match. In a recent match, China also defeated Thailand in the knockout round and will now face Iran, the top contender for the title, in the quarterfinals. This will be an incredibly challenging test for China.
China National TeamA surprising name that made it to the list of the top 10 strongest teams in the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers is Vietnam, a representative from Southeast Asia. Historically, Vietnam's best achievement was reaching the quarter-finals in 2007 when Vietnam co-hosted the tournament with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand (since 1975). This is only Vietnam's second appearance in the Asian Cup (since 1975), and they were placed in a tough group with Iran and Iraq. Although Vietnam lost 2-3 to Iraq, they were not far behind in terms of gameplay, even leading twice during the match. Had they been more secure, Vietnam could have won. Nonetheless, they managed to advance from the group stage, ranking third and surpassing Lebanon on the 'fair play' criteria. Over the past two years, Vietnam has demonstrated its strength across many tournaments. Starting with the AFC U-23 Championship, Vietnam brilliantly defeated Iraq and Qatar to reach the final in Changzhou. Despite unfavorable weather conditions, Vietnam lost 1-2 in a heartbreaking extra-time finish to Uzbekistan, claiming second place in the U-23 Asian Championship. In the Asian Olympics, Vietnam defeated Japan to top their group and then beat Bahrain and Syria to make it to the semi-finals, where they lost to South Korea, who later won the 2018 Olympic gold medal. Most recently, in the AFF Championship, Vietnam triumphed over their Southeast Asian neighbors to become champions for the second time after a 10-year wait. Returning to the knockout round of the 2019 Asian Cup, Vietnam impressively beat Jordan in a tense penalty shootout, becoming the first team to reach the quarter-finals. With Thailand's loss to China, Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian nation left in the quarter-finals. Their next opponents will be the winner of the Japan vs. Saudi Arabia match. Regardless of who wins, both teams will be tough opponents, having both played in the 2018 World Cup. However, under coach Park Hang Seo and the golden generation of players like Quang Hai, Cong Phuong, Anh Duc, Van Hau, Van Duc, Xuan Truong, Tien Dung, Ngoc Hai, and Van Lam, Vietnam can still dream of an incredible result at this continental tournament.
Vietnam National Football TeamAt the top of the list of the strongest teams in the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers is Iran. Since 1968, Iran has consistently qualified for the Asian Cup finals, with three consecutive championships in 1968, 1972, and 1976 — a record that no team has matched. Despite Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia having opportunities to win three consecutive titles, they all fell short. In the 2015 Asian Cup, Iran only made it to the quarter-finals, but by 2019, the team had significantly improved. In the 2018 World Cup, despite being eliminated in the group stage, Iran's group was extremely challenging, featuring two World Cup title contenders: Spain and Portugal. Iran managed to surprise by defeating Morocco, drawing with Portugal, and almost securing a draw with Spain. Just one point behind the top two teams, Iran was considered an unexpected standout at the 2018 World Cup. According to FIFA's ranking, Iran stands at 29th, tied with Serbia and ahead of Japan by 21 places. Returning to the 2019 Asian Cup, Iran secured the top spot in Group D after defeating defending Southeast Asian champions Vietnam. In the latest development, Iran also triumphed over Oman to reach the quarter-finals, earning a place among the top 8 teams in the 2019 Asian Cup.
Iran National Football TeamAnother strong contender for the 2019 Asian Cup title is Japan. While Iran holds the record for three consecutive championships, Japan holds the record for the most Asian Cup titles, with four championships to their name. In the 2018 World Cup, Japan successfully made it through the group stage and into the knockout rounds. The group they were placed in wasn't overly difficult, with Colombia, Senegal, and Poland. In the knockout stage, Japan lost 3-2 to Belgium, who later went on to finish in third place after defeating England 2-0. Based on their performance, Japan actually outperformed England in their encounter with Belgium. As a result, FIFA ranked Japan at 50th. In the 2015 Asian Cup, Japan did not perform as well, but in the 2019 Asian Cup, Japan showed their strength by topping their group with a perfect 9 points. With their record of Asian Cup titles, progress to the World Cup knockout stages, and flawless performance so far in this tournament, Japan remains one of the top favorites to win the 2019 Asian Cup.
Japan National Football TeamWhen talking about Japan, one cannot forget South Korea. The defending champions of the 2018 Asian Olympic Games are also strong contenders in the Top 10 teams of the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers. In the 2018 World Cup, South Korea did not progress past the group stage, but they delivered some thrilling performances, particularly their 2-0 victory over Germany, which knocked the reigning World Cup champions out of the tournament. South Korea boasts a golden generation, with captain and star player Son Heung-min playing for Tottenham Hotspur, reminding fans of former Manchester United player Park Ji-sung. Currently, South Korea holds the title of the 2019 Asian Cup runners-up, the 2018 Asian Olympic champions, and the current East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) champions. South Korea has won the Asian Cup twice, in 1956 and 1960. In the 2019 Asian Cup, they topped their group with a perfect 9 points. Next, they will face Bahrain, a team they are heavily favored to defeat.
South Korea National Football Team
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