Five players to watch at Asian Cup #2

Kim Min-jae (South Korea)

Known as "Monster" because of his physique, the Bayern Munich man is one of the best defenders. The nickname does him a disservice in many ways --the elegant central defender is no slouch across the grass and is comfortable on the ball.

Kim started in the K League before moving to China and then Turkey. Kim left Fenerbahce for Napoli in 2022. After one season, Kim reached Bayern Munich in July 2023.  

Salem Al Dawsari (Saudi Arabia)

Dawsari will have fond memories of Qatar after scoring one of the goals of the tournament at the 2022 World Cup. The attacker, who was named AFC player of the year in November, unleashed a right-footed thunderbolt as Saudi Arabia stunned eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in their opening game.

The 32-year-old has long been one of Asia's best players and is a stalwart for Saudi heavyweights Al Hilal.