AFC Asian Cup
Taking place at the magnificent Salwa Palace in the At-Turaif District, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, the starry ceremony will be lit up by the presence of football luminaries representing both West and East: Salem Al Dawsari and Hidetoshi Nakata.
The duo is part of a stellar cast of seven draw assistants for the evening who will lend a helping hand to chief draw conductor, AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John, as the fate of Asia’s top 24 sides is unveiled for the 19th edition of the crown jewel.
The reigning AFC Player of the Year, Al Dawsari is a modern great of the Asian game and the 2025 award was his second accolade after a maiden win in 2022. The 34-year-old superstar is an indomitable force at club level for Al Hilal SFC and on the international stage for Saudi Arabia, for whom he has over a century of caps and will aim to lead the Green Falcons to a fourth Continental crown on home soil come 2027.
Photo: Stephen McCarthy/FIFA
Japanese legend Nakata, 49, remains a household name in Asia after ending his career in 2006 and was the first player to be named AFC Player of the Year twice with back-to-back triumphs in 1997 and 1998 – a feat that is yet to be emulated. A skilful midfielder, he scored the deciding goal for Bellmare Hiratsuka (now Shonan Bellmare) in the 1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup in his debut professional season aged 18 before moving on to Italy. There, Nakata shone with AC Perugia before achieving prominence at AS Roma with a league triumph in 2000/01 – which remains the club’s last Serie A success. Nakata, who later played for Parma, Bologna FC, Fiorentina and Bolton Wanderers, tallied 11 goals in 77 appearances for his country and featured at three FIFA World Cups.
The ensemble also features Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami, who is immortalised in the West Asians’ footballing history after leading them to a historic maiden FIFA World Cup qualification in June 2025. The 55-year-old Moroccan, who took the role a year prior, also guided them to a first-ever FIFA Arab Cup Final last December and will aim to lead the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ finalists one step further at Saudi Arabia 2027.
Following in the footsteps of trailblazer Yoshimi Yamashita from the previous draw, this edition features another of the Continent’s finest referees in Kim Yu-jeong, who oversaw the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ Final in March. A FIFA international referee since 2018, the 37-year-old from Korea Republic has established herself over the years and featured in the AFC U23 Asian Cup™, AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup™, AFC U17 Asian Cup™, AFC Women’s Champions League™, AFC Champions League Two™, as well as the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Also representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the Final Draw is para footballer Yazan Seefen, who has starred for his country and is an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Institute of Research.
Rounding off the draw assistant cast are influencers Li Yuhang of China PR, a former professional player, and Vietnam’s Nguyen Minh Hai, who is also an experienced football commentator.
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