Quang Hai among top 10 best players after Asian Cup’s first round

1) Mohamed Al-Romaihi (Bahrain)

Mohamed Al-Romaihi scored a goal, helping Bahrain secure a point as they held the host nation the UAE to a draw.

2) Khalil Bani Attiah (Jordan)

The website noted how the powerfully-built defensive midfielder broke down countless opposition attacks and proved to be an immovable object in the middle of the park during the first game.

3) Sunil Chhetri (India)

The Indian striker netted two goals in the match between India and Thailand.

4) Hwang Hee-chan (the Republic of Korea)

“Hwang helped provide the breakthrough with a clever run to race onto Lee Chung-yong’s incisive pass and play the perfect cut-back for Hwang Ui-jo to convert in the 67th minute”, FOX Sports Asia states.

5) Javier Patino (the Philippines)

“Patino effortlessly brushed aside the Korean defenders with his direct running on a number of occasions”, football editor Gabriel Tan noted.

6) Mehdi Taremi (Iran)

Mehdi Taremi bagged a brace for Iran in their emphatic 5-0 win over tournament debutants Yemen.

7) Nguyen Quang Hai (Vietnam)

“The hottest prospect in Southeast Asian football at the moment, Nguyen Quang Hai did not disappoint on his Asian Cup debut. Vietnam battled bravely against Iraq before succumbing to a 3-2 defeat following a brilliant 90th-minute freekick from Ali Adnan”, Gabriel Tan wrote in his article.

8) Mohanad Ali (Iraq)

Mohanad Ali was one of the players who found the net in the match against Vietnam.

9) Yuya Osako (Japan)

He scored two goals for Japan within five minutes, helping Japan come from behind to record a 3-2 win over Turkmenistan.

10) Ignatiy Nesterov (Uzbekistan)

“Playing in his fifth Asian Cup, the 35-year-old produced a string of fine saves but the best of the lot was his first in the 15th minute – a terrific reflex stop to keep out Ahmed Al-Mahaijri’s bullet header from point-blank range”, says the website.