Football: Five Players Who Made a Name for Themselves at Asian Cup

Yazan Al-Naimat scores for Jordan against South Korea. Giuseppe CACACE / AFP
Yazan Al-Naimat scores for Jordan against South Korea. Giuseppe CACACE / AFP
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Football: Five Players Who Made a Name for Themselves at Asian Cup

Yazan Al-Naimat scores for Jordan against South Korea. Giuseppe CACACE / AFP
Yazan Al-Naimat scores for Jordan against South Korea. Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

Jordan and hosts and holders Qatar will contest the final of the Asian Cup on Saturday.
AFP Sport picks out five players who made a name for themselves during the tournament:
Yazan Al-Naimat (Jordan)
Together with fellow attacker Mousa Al-Tamari, Naimat terrorized South Korea's defence in Jordan's 2-0 semi-final win.
Tamari is Jordan's only player in Europe but clubs across the planet will have taken note of Naimat's all-action performances over the past month.
The 24-year-old Naimat scored in a 2-2 draw with South Korea in the group phase, then added another against them in the semi-final. He also netted in a thrilling 3-2 win over Iraq.
Quick and direct, he has created 10 chances during the tournament, the joint second most among all players.
He currently plays for Al-Ahli in Qatar and the center-forward has 14 goals in 43 appearances for his club, plus 15 assists.
Mousa Al-Tamari (Jordan)
The 26-year-old wide attacker is a contender for player of the tournament after his goals and assists, along with Naimat's, helped propel Jordan into a first final in their history.
Tamari is with French side Montpellier and his displays in Qatar have showcased his talents to an even wider audience.
He started his tournament with a bang, hitting a brace in a 4-0 demolition of Malaysia, then rose to the occasion with a man-of-the-match role in the win over South Korea in the last four.
Pacy, skilful and hard working, Tamari set up Naimat for the first goal and 13 minutes later got in on the act by slicing through the Korean defense before unleashing a ruthless finish.
Oday Dabbagh (Palestine)
Palestine made history by reaching the Asian Cup knockout rounds for the first time and Dabbagh played a crucial role, chipping in with three goals.
The striker, who moved to Belgian side Charleroi last year, was a constant nuisance for defenders with his aerial prowess and poacher's instinct in front of goal.
Just turned 25 and playing in his second Asian Cup, his peak years are still ahead of him.
Palestine's tournament ended in a 2-1 defeat to Qatar in the last 16, but together with skipper and defender Musab Al-Battat, Dabbagh was their star performer.
Abbosbek Fayzullaev (Uzbekistan)
Uzbekistan's tournament ended in the quarter-finals on penalties to Qatar but there will be plenty more Asian Cups for Fayzullaev.
The 20-year-old attacker has been one to watch for a while now and he showed why in particular with the winner from outside the box against Thailand in the last 16.
As is expected from a young player, he flitted out of games occasionally, but it was the CSKA Moscow starlet's second goal of the competition and he was named man of the match.
Thailand's uncompromising defenders had had enough of him by the end and he asked to be substituted late on to avoid any more rough treatment.
Lucas Mendes (Qatar)
Forward Akram Afif hogged the headlines for Qatar but Mendes also played a key role in taking the hosts and holders to the final.
Born in Brazil, Mendes played for Marseille a decade ago and has Champions League experience with them, suffering defeats to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund.
Only made his Qatar debut in November but has played his club football in the country for the past nine years.
Quietly effective at the back, Mendes used all of his experience and defensive nous to help Qatar breeze through the group stage without conceding a goal.



Saudi Club Al-Hilal Says Contract with Neymar Has Been Terminated by Mutual Consent 

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 
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Saudi Club Al-Hilal Says Contract with Neymar Has Been Terminated by Mutual Consent 

Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 
Football - Asian Champions League - Group B – Al-Ain v Al-Hilal - Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates - October 21, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar. (Reuters) 

Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal said Monday it reached an agreement with striker Neymar to terminate his contract by mutual consent.

Neither side confirmed details of the termination after the 32-year-old Brazilian, once hailed as one of the world's best players, played only seven matches for the club, with only one goal and two assists.

Despite being sidelined since October 2023 due to an ACL injury, former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was part of the squad that won last season's Saudi league.

Their deal was due to expire after Al-Hilal's participation in this year's FIFA Club World Cup, which will be played between June 15 and July 13 in the United States.

The club said in a statement published on its social media channels that it “expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal.”

The striker joined the Saudi club from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 for 90 million euros ($94 million), in one of many transactions that placed the Kingdom as one of the new big soccer markets in the world. But Neymar picked up his ACL injury, the most serious of his career, playing for Brazil only months after he joined Al-Hilal.

Neymar returned in October and had his most recent appearance for the Saudi club in November. The Brazilian said in different interviews there were doubts on whether coach Jorge Jesus would count on him for the rest of the season.

Brazilian media has reported that Neymar and his father are interested in a six-month return to his boyhood club Santos, where he achieved national fame and his first caps for Brazil before he joined Barcelona in 2013.

Brazil national team coach Dorival Júnior has said since the end of last year that Neymar is not fully recovered for international soccer either. In March, his team will play against leader Argentina in South American World Cup qualifying, and Neymar is once again unlikely to play.

Neymar, Brazil's all-time top goal scorer with 79 goals in 125 matches, has said he is focused on getting more playing time so he can best prepare for the World Cup in North America next year, in what could be his last shot at winning the tournament.