Arab players dominated the Best XI lineup for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, with 8 out of 11 players hailing from the teams of Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Surprisingly, Jordanian player Musa Al-Tamari was absent from the lineup.
Qatar retained its title as Asian Cup champions by defeating Jordan (3-1) last Saturday at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, marking the third Arab final in the tournament's history, after 1996 and 2007.
The organizers of the Asian Cup announced the tournament's Best XI, which included four players from the winning Qatari team: goalkeeper Mishaal Borsham, defender Lucas Mendes, captain Hassan Al-Haydos, and star Akram Afif, who also won the Best Player and Top Scorer awards.
Jordanian defender Abdullah Naseeb and forward Yazan Al-Naimat also made the Best XI, while star player Musa Al-Tamari was notably missing. From Saudi Arabia, defender Ali Al-Bulayhi was selected, along with Iraqi player Ayman Hussein, who impressed with his performances and goals.
The Best XI lineup is as follows:
- Goalkeeper: Mishaal Borsham (Qatar)
- Defense: Abdullah Naseeb (Jordan), Lucas Mendes (Qatar), Ali Al-Bulayhi (Saudi Arabia)
- Midfield: Hassan Al-Haydos (Qatar), Mehdi Qayedi (Iran), Craig Goodwin (Australia), Lee Kang-in (South Korea)
- Attack: Akram Afif (Qatar), Yazan Al-Naimat (Jordan), Ayman Hussein (Iraq).