The AFC U20 Asian Cup kicks off this Wednesday in Tashkent, as Uzbekistan play host to a second continental youth showpiece in the space of a year.
March’s finals will be the first edition played at under-20 level, as the AFC seek to gain a greater advantage ahead of this summer’s FIFA U20 World Cup, hosted in their own back yard, by Indonesia, in June.
A place in the semi-final will guarantee the best four in Asia a place on the world stage, alongside the hosts, in a tournament South Korea, led by a certain Lee Kang-in, made the final back in 2019.
Hosts for the respective tournaments, Uzbekistan and Indonesia, head in with strong squads on paper looking to upset the established order, while the usual array of Asian heavyweights – Japan, South Korea, Australia and reigning champions Saudi Arabia – all have strong claims to book themselves a ticket to Jakarta in three months’ time.
For the players, this tournament promises to be a potential platform to make a career and generate some interest, with a number of teenagers even setting their sights on gaining favour for a potential senior call up for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup next January.
Following in the footsteps of Firas Al-Buraikan (2019), Ritsu Doan, Takehiro Tomiyasu (2016) and Hwang Hee-chan (2014), we’ll have a look at the candidates best placed to become the next continental star to emerge from the Asian Youth Cup?
Ahmed Al-Rawi – Qatar
Following in your brother’s footsteps is often a daunting challenge in itself, but to follow a sibling who has brought your adopted nation their first continental title and led them onto the world scene for the first time in their history, well that might be a different case entirely.
Yet, as his brother Bassam recovers from losing out in an AFC Champions League semi-final last weekend, Ahmed Al-Rawi prepares to make his own name at the upcoming U20 Asian Cup.
The Qatari wide forward, of Iraqi heritage, may however become the more recognisable name in the long term. Possessing the same ball control, and fierce dead ball ability of his brother, Ahmed already commands a more dynamic attacking style, in a position the country desperately needs talent to come through over the next decade post their 2022 collapse.
The former Al Rayyan youngster, while only featuring sparingly domestically, has rapidly risen through the world renowned Aspire Academy under the tutelage of Spanish coach Inaki Gonzalez. Al-Rawi’s progress saw him selected as part of the project’s next move to Spain at the start of the year.
Five goals, including a devastating hat-trick against Bangladesh in qualification was an early eye-opener, a hot streak that has continued in preparation for the tournament, with goals against Syria, Oman and Saudi Arabia since the turn of the year.
What already looks to be his trademark, however, is his confidence, a bullish nature and speed of thought; almost in the mould of a young Luis Suarez playing style, cutting in from the left side of the Qatari attack. Even a drop of the great Uruguayan’s impact in Uzbekistan may see him have an accelerated route into the thoughts of new senior coach Carlos Queiroz’s over the coming year.
Abbosbek Fayzullaev – Uzbekistan
As Uzbekistan prepare to host their second successive continental youth tournament in the space of nine months, hopes internally will focus on a replication of their home side’s run to the final in the U23 Asian Cup in the U20s.
As with last year, expectation will be centred around the poster boy of the event; but can Aboosbek Fayzullaev emulate his midfield lynchpin superior Jasurbek Jaloliddinov in front of an expectant crowd?
For one thing, Fayzullaev has already made a more significant impact on club football with Tashkent giants Pakhtakor; initially impressing in last year’s AFC Champions League group stage, which included a fine strike against Al-Taawoun.
Ever since, following the arrival of Uzbek great Maksim Shatskikh as coach, Fayzullaev has been a regular in the starting line-up, feeding the likes of Dostonbek Khamdamov and Dragon Ceran in their successful title run-in late last term.
His impish frame allows for creative movement in behind the striker, capable of quick interplays and rapid counterattacks. There’s no doubt if there is sufficient effective finishing around him, he’ll rack up the assists over the coming weeks.
The only question mark may be whether he can motivate himself on the big occasion as the team’s protagonist. As Jaloliddinov struggled to live up to the pressure of an impressive international career domestically, will Fayzullaev have the opposite problem in replicating his Pakhtakor form in Uzbek colours? Only time will tell.
Kuryu Matsuki – Japan
The column inches written about a certain Japanese football talent’s extra-curricular form whilst at university might have driven you to distraction over the last couple of months, but as with Kaoru Mitoma’s much lauded dissertation on dribbling, Japan’s next star in the making, Kuryu Matsuki broke onto the scene with a back story that’ll likely have the same wholesome impact.
The star man and captain of Aomori Yamada High School Championship winning side, Matsuki’s all round influence, physicality and ability with the ball at his feet, made him the next big thing almost overnight. While clamour from Europe paused following an impressive debut season with Tokyo last year under his belt, that initial hype of potential looks for once set to materialise.
In a remarkably comfortable transition straight into top tier Japanese football, including an impressive showing at last summer’s U23 Asian Cup, it may be a surprise to many that Matsuki has stayed put in the Japanese capital for the coming season, while a number of other, potentially less suited players take flight for Europe. The maturity in his game on the pitch, seems to indeed be reflective in his decision making off it.
The tournament ahead in Uzbekistan marks another stage in his development; a midfielder who relishes being the central dictator, comfortable with either foot, able to quicken the pace up on the counter on a whim, he may only want to hone his scoring boots to complete his all-round game.
While his star remains warmly subdued for now, given his regularity and consistency at Tokyo, such a talent shouldn’t be simmering under the radar for too much longer.
Musab Al-Juwayr – Saudi Arabia
The buzz around Saudi Arabian football at the moment is undeniable. From their World Cup exploits, to their domestic champions making a run to the final of the Club World Cup, not to mention the recruitment of Cristiano Ronaldo in January, all angles of the game are being covered by the Kingdom’s grand footballing masterplan.
But the scaffolding in securing these achievements has only come to pass through effective youth development; demonstrated in their U23 Asian Cup title last year, and this, their title retention campaign in the U20s. The fear, as with neighbouring Qatar, that they were a single generation amongst mediocrity, so far hasn’t developed into a credible claim.
The current U20 cohort have already sought success, champions at the Arab Youth Cup in 2021 and 2022, alongside a sprinkling of talent having already made the step up to U23 or even senior level. The key player leading that charge is Al-Hilal midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr, a physical, but fluidly mobile all-action attacking midfielder, who offers both productive build up play alongside a clinical end product.
Thrown into January’s senior Gulf Cup campaign in Iraq, while much of the first choice World Cup squad were given a month’s rest following their excursions in Qatar, Al-Juwayr shone in an otherwise disjointed looking B-grade Saudi team. In his performance, especially in the opener against Yemen, where he capped off a prominent showing with a goal from the spot, Al-Juwayr in a moment showed the promise we’ll want to see materialise in the coming years.
Outside his general in-play impact, he’s also got an unerringly effective record of scoring and succeeding in finals; having scored in recent U23 WAFF and two U20 Arab Cup finals of late – not a bad player to have in your arsenal, as Saudi Arabia go again in search of yet another continental youth title.
Khristiyan Brauzman – Kyrgyzstan
The lines between success and failure as a young footballer are often wafer thin. For Kyrgyz defender Khrystiyan Brauzman, he has undoubtedly felt that with his career over the last two years. Having been dropped by Turkish club Eskişehirspor in his mid-teens, Brauzman found himself back at hometown club Abdysh-Ata, in search of redemption.
While his club may have gone on to make waves in the region over the last year, having overthrown usual powerhouses in the Kyrgyz topflight Dordoi – knocked off their perch for the first time in four years – Brauzman in the main played a supporting role.
Despite his rangy physique and an impressively calm persona on the ball, the often weather-beaten pitches and agricultural style of play of domestic Kyrgyz football isn’t necessarily an ideal environment for such a talent to shine.
His raw ability, however, was immediately spotted by the national team set up. Converting Brauzman, who’s typically deployed at right back for his club side, into a more comfortable looking central role, he was the essential leading figure in his nation’s first qualification to U20 Asian Cup in 15 years, thanks in no small part due to the defender’s towering header against UAE that upset the odds in knocking out the Emiratis.
He’s not just become a regular at youth level, but also in the senior national team under Aleksander Krestinin’s tutelage, slotting in nicely alongside the vastly experienced Valery Kichin, as Kyrgyzstan nudged another qualification over the line, this time for the senior Asian Cup last summer.
An unassuming, laid-back defender who prefers the ball more at his feet, than in a tackle, Brauzman could’ve easily been lost to the physical domestic football wilderness back home, instead he has the international platform to demonstrate his qualities as a modern-day ball playing centre back in a growingly talented Kyrgyz national team setup.
Photo: AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup
Listen to the latest The Asian Game Podcast as we go In Conversation With… Mitch Langerak
