The 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar has showcased the best of football in Asia
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00:00 It's the largest continent in the world, but in football it has often struggled to compete with Europe.
00:06 After a World Cup to remember and an influx of major stars, is all that about to change for Asia?
00:12 Hello there and welcome to Football Now from Doha.
00:20 The 2023 Asian Cup is finally here and it has not disappointed.
00:24 Off the pitch, thousands of fans have travelled to Qatar to cheer on their nations and on it some of the sport's biggest names have lit up the tournament.
00:32 It's the second time in just over a year that the eyes of the footballing world have been on the Middle East and once again this region has delivered.
00:39 It begs the question, what does the future of football look like in Asia and more importantly, do the fans think the game is as big here as it is in Europe?
00:47 Actually in many aspects, not only in the atmosphere or the fans themselves but actually on the infrastructure, the fans, the way they are cheering.
00:57 I do feel like they are bringing different inspirations and also bringing different elements into football.
01:03 It's getting more and more popular, it's getting more especially like my country and the Gulf country.
01:08 I used to live in Saudi before I came here to Qatar, it's really popular but now it's getting more popular.
01:12 Football across Asia is definitely up there with like Europe and South America as well.
01:17 Players like Son and Matoma, they are getting into public attention as they come to play in the top stages of football like the Premier League and also more and more Asian players, they are appearing in the top five leagues.
01:32 As any other optimistic fan, I would love to see that the investments also not take place only in the buying good players but actually developing academies.
01:41 So that the young generation reaches and competes in the level and I hope that by 2034 we would be like in the semi-final.
01:50 So that's what the fans think but what about the players and managers?
01:54 I caught up with some of Asia's most famous names to get their thoughts on what direction football on the continent is heading.
02:01 Today in the tournament we see that all the Asian teams that were in the middle of the competition have developed in good performance.
02:13 I think teams are more organized, they are harder to break down, more individual quality for sure.
02:19 The game is always improving and qualifying to Asia is always treacherous.
02:24 I think the qualifiers are improving and the competition is getting harder. This requires more effort and more work to get out of these matches with the best result and the best performance.
02:39 I think in high competition there is no big team and small teams. The difference is made about small details inside the field.
02:50 I think there is no easy team and all the players think so.
02:56 So we need to prepare and analyze the game well. I think there is no way to win this year.
03:08 Every year the federation continues to develop the country and it's clear that step by step we can improve the level of the Asian players.
03:21 There has been a definite jump in the kind of awareness and the kind of interest and a little bit of talent and a little bit of quality all together in the last 5-10 years.
03:32 Now with a work ethic to match anyone and deadly attacking prowess, one team that has caught the eye of everybody over the last couple of years is Japan.
03:40 Coming off the back of a successful 2022 World Cup in which they defeated both Spain and Germany, their style of play is among the most exciting on the international stage.
03:50 So what does the future hold for them and how can they maintain this form for tournaments to come?
03:55 It's important, it's always important to find young players and coaches testing some young stars in this tournament.
04:04 And the coaches and players were not satisfied with the result in the World Cup.
04:09 They keep progressing day by day. They show how the quality they have.
04:15 And after the World Cup, Japan faced Germany and Turkey last year and Japan won both games.
04:21 I think the gap between European countries and Asian countries is getting narrower and narrower every year.
04:29 The current players say they want to win the World Cup, but I think going to the quarter-final in the World Cup is a realistic goal for Japan.
04:40 If Asian countries win the World Cup, the level of the game will grow even more.
04:46 Now, if I asked you who Asia's most famous player is, who would you say?
04:51 The answer is undoubtedly Son Heung-min.
04:53 The South Korea and Tottenham Hotspur captain has been crowned Asia's best player a record eight times over the course of his career and is one of the Premier League's most iconic stars.
05:03 So how important has his contribution been to the growth of football in Asia?
05:08 It's massive. I think he's a great idol for Asia. People can look up to him.
05:13 He's a very honest guy. He's passionate. When things aren't going well, he doesn't hide it. He doesn't hide any emotion.
05:18 And I love that because that's what football is all about. He doesn't care about anything but his love for the game.
05:23 And you can even see it's difficult in some countries with the military service that he was able to get out of because of playing the international caps.
05:30 He still sticks to the rules. He's still willing to do what any other person in that country wants to do.
05:34 But because of the growth of football, he just seems like an honest and passionate man.
05:39 I think we will see more human sons in the next 10, 15 years. And I just hope that they have the same personality as him.
05:45 Honest, love the game and wants to see it grow really.
05:48 Yes, and there's plenty more to look forward to here in Doha as we reach the closing stages of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
05:56 That's all we have time for this week. Do let us know your thoughts using the hashtag #FootballNowAsia and we'll see you next time. Bye for now.
06:03 [MUSIC]