I'm sure many of you, just like me, don't really bother about this other than the fact that Brad Jones is competing in it for Australia.
The last one in 2007 was not good for my country. The only host out of the four to not win a game, getting thrashed 5-1, 5-0 and a 2-0 lost. Didn't qualify this time and only qualified then because we were one of the four hosts.
This year, it is hosted in Qatar. I would say Australia, Japan, South Korea, Iran and of course, defending champions, Iraq, to be the ones to watch out for.
Jones eager for Asian Cup glory
Brad Jones is hoping to help Australia to Asian Cup glory when the tournament starts in Qatar on January 10.Pepe Reina's understudy will be away from Anfield until the end of the month after he was named in coach Holger Osieck's 23-man squad.
He will join up with his Socceroos teammates at a training camp in Dubai today after flying from Manchester yesterday.
Australia face the UAE in a pre-tournament friendly on Wednesday, prior to travelling to Doha the following day.
They will kick-off their Asian Cup quest against India on Monday, January 10, before also taking on South Korea and Bahrain in Group C.
"It should be a good experience, hopefully we can do well in the Asian Cup and I'm looking forward to it," Jones told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"There are some strong teams in Asia and teams like Japan and South Korea are always going to be difficult to beat.
"For the Australia national team at the minute it's still a bit of a transitional period because we've had a few players retire and a few won't be going to the Asian Cup because of club commitments.
"We have still got a good team and we are quietly confident."
Jones is hoping to eventually become the Socceroors No.1 but at the moment he is No.2 with Fulham's Mark Schwarzer the regular custodian.
He added: "It kind of replicates what I do at Liverpool because Mark Schwarzer is the No.1 and deservedly so, but I will push him and help him as much as I can and try and do a good job.
"I'm still striving myself to try and reach a level I am happy with and I am the sort of the person who isn't happy until I get there.
"Obviously Mark is 38 now and is not going to go on for ever so the more time I can be around the national team the better."
Despite not much game time because he is understudy to arguably one of Europe's best stoppers in Reina, Jones is enjoying his time at Anfield and hopes the new year will be a good one for Liverpool.
"On a personal level I am really enjoying being at Liverpool but as a club we want to be higher up the table.
"Things haven't been going too well but we showed a good spirit against Bolton. Hopefully we can make 2011 a good year for Liverpool."
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/jones-eager-for-asian-cup-glory I actually felt Australia would definitely win the tournament in 2007 but I was wrong.
Here are the groups.
Group A - China, Kuwait, Qatar and Uzbekistan
Group B - Japan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria
Group C - Australia, Bahrain, India and South Korea
Group D - Iran, Iraq, North Korea and UAE
Some interesting players outside the Premier League are set to be involved. Keisuke Honda, Yasuhito Endo and Younis Mahmoud ( Most Valuable Player and joint top scorer in AFC Asian Cup 2007 and Asian Football of the Year 2007 runner up).
A few Premier League players are set to be involved as well. Our Brad Jones, Fulham's Mark Schwarzer, Blackpool's David Carney, Everton's Tim Cahill, Bolton's Lee Chung-Yong and Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung.
