Summary: Just days away international football correspondent John Duerden joins for a special episode designed to examine the key nations, players and story lines facing the 2015 Asian Cup as teams arrive in Australia for their final tune ups and the group stage matches are set to start. We take a look at the favorites in Japan, Australia and South Korea who will surely have much to say throughout the tournament, but also explore whether Iran and some of the emerging West Asian powers could leave their mark including the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE who each come to the competition with their own regional stars who have featured prominently in the AFC Champions League and still offer a bit of mystery and intrigue borne from an evolving status in the world game and old rivalries that began in the early symbolic days of the AFC Asian Cup. We also take a look into some of the key players who could shape this tournament, whether they are established in Europe or remain regional stars, and consider whether Iran might just be the serious dark horse to consider once the tournament gets past the group stage. As always, AFC football is a complex and high-energy affair with so many great match ups and rivalries to be had and we even take a look at some of the must-see fixtures in the early rounds. What the AFC Asian Cup may lack in history and the long standing traditions found in Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations or the European championship, it more than makes up in the areas of ambition, diversity and emerging presence in the world game and many believe 2015 is where the tournament truly realizes its mainstream ascent at last.
