Who are the Uzbekistan rising stars leading the charge for AFC U-23 Asian Cup glory

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On Friday evening, the AFC U-23 Asian Cup will crown its first two-time champions when the tournament comes to a close with the final -- to be held Jassam bin Hamad Stadium in Qatar.

In one corner stand usual suspects Japan, who have spent the last three decades among Asian football's leading lights and are unsurprisingly a realistic chance to the U-23 crown they last won in 2016.

At senior level, they are the most successful side in AFC Asian Cup history with four titles to their names and now constantly have a plethora of exports plying their trade in prominent leagues all across Europe.

Standing in their way on Friday are a side who perhaps do not boast the same illustrious reputation yet that by no means makes them massive underdogs in the final.

Uzbekistan have never won the Asian Cup. In fact, they have only made reached the semifinals once before in eight attempts.

But they are slowly but surely a rising force, especially with the promising talent they have been bringing through in recent times.

AFC U-23 champions in 2018, the Uzbeks followed up with a fourth-place finish two years later before having to settle for runners-up last time out.

Also increasing is the number of Uzbekistan internationals now making the grade in Europe, with captain Eldor Shomurodov the standout having spent the last few seasons in Serie A with Genoa, Roma, Spezia and Cagliari.

As Uzbekistan look to continue their emergence as a force to be reckoned with in the continent, we look at the key players leading their charge at the U-23 Asian Cup.

Abbosbek Fayzullaev

The crown jewel of Uzbek football at present, Abbosbek Fayzullaev really caught the eye at the Asian Cup earlier this year with a series of starring displays despite being one of the youngest members of the squad.

In a campaign where the Uzbeks were arguably not at their best yet still managed to reach the quarterfinals before losing on penalties to hosts and eventual champions Qatar, Fayzullaev would finish as their joint-top scorer with goals against India and Thailand.

The 20-year-old is already featuring regularly for CSKA Moscow, which is quite a mean feat considering their status as one of the traditional heavyweights in the Russian Premier League.

His sheer quality meant that Uzbekistan were content to do without him for the first two matches of their U-23 Asian Cup campaign, but he has already added an extra element of class since his arrival even if it looks like he has not gotten out of second gear yet.

Abdukodir Khusanov

Like Fayzullaev, Abdukodir Khusanov missed the opening couple of Uzbekistan's games at the U-23 Asian Cup due to club commitments before slotting in seamlessly in a formidable backline -- which is yet to concede a goal in five outings at the tournament.

Khusanov became the first Uzbek to play in Ligue 1 last summer when he signed -- and then debuted -- for Lens, which was a real testament to his ability given they their status as the previous season's runners-up in the French top flight.

Being the youngest member of Uzbekistan's Asian Cup squad back in January hardly seemed to faze him, as he every bit resembles the modern centre-back with his composure on the ball complementing his defensive ability.

Having only just turned 20, the future looks exceedingly bright for Khusanov, who should go on to be the cornerstone of the Uzbekistan defence for the next decade and more.

Jasurbek Jaloliddinov

When Uzbekistan were missing Fayzullaev and Khusanov earlier in their U-23 Asian Cup campaign, it was Jasurbek Jaloliddinov who came to the fore.

As the captain and playmaker-in-chief of the team, Jaloliddinov has been an influential figure in a team that has racked up 14 goals so far.

Despite his dimunitive nature, the 21-year-old rarely shies away from a challenge and is equally effective deployed as the no. 10 or in a more traditional central midfield role.

In a sign of the depth in the squad, Uzbekistan coach Timur Kapadze curiously opted to leave Jaloliddinov on the bench before calling upon him at halftime in their semifinal win over Indonesia, but it is hard to see him not being reinstated to the starting XI for Friday's decider.

Khojimat Erkinov

Another exciting talent in attack, Khojimat Erkinov boasts plenty of experience despite his relatively tender years and has had plenty of exposure in the AFC Champions League -- Asia's premier club competition -- with Pakhtakor, the undisputed powerhouses of the Uzbekistan Super League.

The 22-year-old also had a stint in the Russian top flight with Torpedo Moscow but is now back in Asia, albeit as a foreigner in United Arab Emirates with Al Wahda.

Uzbekistan's embarrassment of riches means that Erkinov has only started two of their five games at the U-23 Asian Cup -- with his only full 90 minutes coming in the 5-0 group-stage win over Kuwait when he also scored.

After being replaced at halftime in the semifinal victory over Indonesia, it will be interesting to see if he gets the nod in the final - although he will always be a handy option to call upon even if he is kept in reserve.

Abdurauf Buriev

For all the enterprising and free-flowing attacking football Uzbekistan have produced at the tournament, they have needed an anchorman to offer some much-needed insurance when they do lose possession -- and that man has been Abdurauf Buriev.

Far from being the fanciest of footballers, Buriev is perfectly content to shield his backline and regain possession for his team before handing it over to his more-creative colleagues, but that does not mean he is a one-dimensional player.

The 21-year-old has shown a penchant for spectacular long-range efforts and is only through sheer misfortune that he has not found the scoresheet with a goal-of-the-tournament contender, having been denied by the woodwork on a couple of occasions.

Although he may not hog the limelight, Buriev's importance is clear to see from the fact that he has started four of their five matches -- with the only game he was left out the Group D finale against Vietnam, when Uzbekistan were already guaranteed of their place in the knockout round.