GK - Mark Schwarzer (Australia) Schwarzer has his doubters in England but has been as solid as a rock during qualification. His big mistake, giving away a penalty late in the game in China, was swiftly erased with a save from Shao Jiayi. Great performance at home against Iraq and in Qatar helped the Socceroos through.

DF- Nam Song Chol (North Korea) An integral part of the tightest defence in Asia, though he will be tested more rigorously in the next stage, the cool and steady Nam didn’t put a foot wrong on the left for the Group Three runners-up and also got forward as often as possible.

DF –Yuji Nakazawa (Japan) An inspirational defender who always seems to be in the right place at the right time and is rarely caught out of position. Old Bomberhead is no slouch in the opposition area either as goals against Oman and Bahrain prove.

DF – Seyed Jalal Hosseini (Iran) The Saipa stopper is as solid as they come. In a patchy Iranian campaign, the defender hardly put a foot wrong.

DF- Brett Emerton (Australia) This unsung hero can play at the back or in midfield but wherever he plays, he runs and runs. Always gives his all for the team and even managed a couple of goals in the vital 3-1 win in Qatar.

MF –Yasuhito Endo (Japan) These days the Gamba Osaka star is starting to get the recognition he deserves. Sometimes sublime in the pass and deadly with the dead-ball, Endo is establishing himself as one of Asia’s top midfielders.

MF –Kim Nam-il (South Korea) The Vacuum Cleaner is still as tough as old boots and while it seems to have been years since his name appeared on the scoresheet, his forward passing was at times the source of Korea’s most threatening moves.

MF –Server Djeparov (Uzbekistan) Not only capable of spectacular somersaults after scoring, the midfielder is one of the most exciting players in Asia. His passing, dribbling and all-round offensive play are just some of the reasons why the Uzbeks swept all before them.

FW- Malik Maaz (Saudi Arabia) Such an exciting, if a little inconsistent, player. ’The Magician’ loves nothing more than to embark on jinking runs deep into opposition territory. He is not a bad finisher either.

FW – Maksim Shatskikh (Uzbekistan) A cold-eyed clinical striker with a coolness in front of goal honed by multiple appearances at the very top echelons of European football. His goals to chances ratio is better than most in Asia as he showed at vital times in the last round.

FW –Ismail Mattar (UAE) The star of the 2007 Gulf Cup is starting to fulfil his potential on the continental stage. A vital part of the UAE’s team, he is at the heart of most of their good play. Skilful, tricky with an eye for goal, the diminutive attacker scored over half of his team’s goals.

Coach: Milan Macala – the Silver Fox steered Bahrain through a group that was far from easy. The hard work was done by three impressive wins at the start. Two away victories against Oman, his former team, and Thailand and a great home triumph over Japan.