Kuala Lumpur: Omar Khribin and Omar Al Somah will spearhead the Syrian challenge after head coach Bernd Stange announced the final squad for their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 campaign. 



Striker Khribin, the 2017 AFC Player of the Year, will be expected to lead from the the front while Al Somah has been captain, replacing the injured Firas Al Khatib.

Syria have never advanced beyond the group phase of the AFC Asian Cup, having narrowly missed out on a place in the quarter-finals in 1996 when the tournament was last held in the United Arab Emirates.

However, Stange, who came out of retirement to lead the Qasioun Eagles, has set his sights on the knockout stage despite being drawn with defending champions Australia, Palestine and Jordan in Group B.



Syria Squad

Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma (Al Wahda), Mahmoud Al Youssef (Al Jabalain), Ahmad Madania (Al Jaish).

Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih (Al Ahed), Moayad Ajan (Al Jazeera), Jehad Al Baour (Al Riffa), Omar Midani (Pyramids), Amro Jenyat (Al Shabab), Hussein Jwayed (Al Zawraa), Nadim Sabagh (Tishreen), Abdul Malek Anezan (Al Jaish).

Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas (Umm Salal), Mohammed Osman (Heracles Almelo), Osama Omari (Qatar), Tamer Haj Mohamad (Ohod), Ahmad Ashkar (Al Jaish), Youssef Kalfa (Al Hazem), Zaher Midani (Air Force Club), Khaled Al Mobayed (Al Wahda), Fahd Youssef (Al Sailiya).

Forwards: Omar Khribin (Al Hilal), Omar Al Somah (Al Ahli), Mardik Mardikian (Al Jazeera).


Source: the-afc.com