Spurs' Son set to light up Asian Cup as Qatar takes centre stage again
The 24 teams spanning Australia to Palestine will battle for regional glory over the next four weeks, culminating in the final at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium on February 10th. It will take something special to beat the last big game at Lusail - the World Cup final 13 months ago when an Argentina side inspired by Lionel Messi defeated France on penalties.
The 18th edition of the Asian Cup was supposed to have been held last summer in China but was moved to World Cup host Qatar because of China's Covid-19 rules. Qatar will mostly use stadiums that staged World Cup matches, a notable absentee being Stadium 974, the temporary arena made partly of shipping containers.
In the lead-up to the World Cup, the Gulf state came under intense scrutiny over its human rights record and treatment of migrant workers. Rights groups say little has changed since, something Qatar disputes. There has been no such outcry ahead of the Asian Cup.
Qatar won plaudits for its organisation of the World Cup but the team flopped on the pitch, their three straight defeats the worst performance of any World Cup host. That lingering pain will motivate them in the defence of their Asian crown, but Carlos Queiroz was fired as coach only last month, giving replacement Tintin Marquez little time to prepare.
"I know the players, I know my mentality and I know... my idea for playing," said the Spaniard, who coached Qatar club side Al Wakrah for six years before taking over the national team. Qatar open the tournament against Lebanon at Lusail Stadium. There are six groups of four, the top two from each reaching the last 16, along with the four best third-placed teams.
Japan, defeated 3-1 by Qatar in the 2019 final in the UAE, look the team to beat and are the
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