Bahrain

Months out from the start of the tournament, Bahrain's preparations were thrown into disarray after Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger stepped down just 16 weeks into his tenure.

His final match in charge was a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan, which combined with a coach-less dugout, left the Bahrain preparations in a state of limbo.

Former Pakistan coach Salman Sharida has stepped into the fray just months from the start of the tournament, so has little time to apply his influence.

The 2011 tournament will provide a third successive Asian Cup for Al-Ahmar (The Red), where they were 10 seconds away from knocking out Asian giants Japan in 2004, but limped out of 2007 with a solitary win, despite it being an impressive victory over a strong Korea side.

It is easy to forget that the nation has only 791,000 inhabitants to call upon, yet they still finds themselves 69th on the FIFA world rankings, while they have been as high as 44 back in 2004.

Australian fans will know Bahrain well from the final phase of 2010 World Cup qualification. In their home tie against the Socceroos they thoroughly out-played the visitors before succumbing to a last-gasp Mark Bresciano strike. The return fixture was easier for the Socceroos who ran out 2-0 winners. New Zealand awaited in the World Cup play-off, with the Kiwis doing just enough. With all that in mind Bahrain will probably be keen to exact some revenge over an ANZ rival.

As for qualifying this Asian Cup, they progressed ahead of Yemen and Hong Kong as you might expect, in a campaign that included a fine 1-0 win over group winners Japan while also getting hammered 3-0 by Yemen, proving they have the ability to beat the big guns and falter against the minnows.

At the back of the team Sayed Mohamed Adnan is a defender renowned for coming up for corners and causing trouble with his height and physique. He was a runner-up in the 2009 Asian Footballer of the Year Award, only losing out to Japan's Yasuhito Endo. Adnan missed a crucial penalty during the decisive World Cup qualifier against New Zealand and will be looking to make up for his mistake with a stellar Asian Cup campaign.

Up front A'ala Hubail will look to cause the sort of problems he did in the 2004 Asian Cup when five goals left him as joint top scorer.

Generally though, the Bahrain side is pulled from the country's domestic league, which will cut back on jet lag, but leaves question marks over their depth of quality. They do boast a couple European-based midfielders, Abdulla Fatadi and Abdullah Ismail, who both play in the Swiss Super League for Neuchâtel Xamax.

Star Man
Ismaeel Abdullatif was second top scorer in 2011 Asian Cup qualification with five goals, the lion's share of which came in a nine-minute window with a quick fire hat-trick against Hong Kong in January.

The Coach
Salman Sharida - Appointed only months ahead of the tournament after Austrian Josef Hickersberger quit to return to his former club Al Wahda of UAE. Former Bahraini international Sharida will have limited time to stamp his authority on the team ahead of the big Kick-off. In his time as Pakistan coach his team proved inconsistent, but he does have Asian club success under his belt after leading Muharraq Club to the AFC Cup in 2008.

FourFourTwo predicts...
While they should swat aside India, Australia and Korea will prove too strong for them to progress from the group.

India

Still reeling from the adverse publicity surrounding the PR nightmare that was the Delhi Commonwealth Games, Bobby Houghton's "Bhangra Boys" have a golden opportunity to spotlight all that's good about Indian sport with this rare AFC Asian Cup appearance. And it's a striker who began his career in Delhi who most Indian fans will look to for a miracle.

Star striker Sunil Chhetri banged in a hat-trick against Vietnam in a friendly last October and a similar haul in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup final over Tajikistan - which helped hand India automatic entry to Qatar 2011 - underlined the pint-sized striker's pedigree with almost a goal every two games in the blue shirt.

Houghton's men have been handed a difficult group in Qatar. An opening game against the Socceroos is followed by Bahrain and South Korea. Difficult, that is, for a country ranked 144 in the world and 24 in Asia. Yet India's club-like preparation for Qatar is worth noting.

Backed by an increasingly ambitious All India Football Federation (AIFF), a training camp in Dubai was followed by a two-month trip to Portugal at the conclusion of the 2010 I-League season. Granted the opposition were largely second tier club sides, but India backed up their European sojourn with friendlies back in Asia against Yemen, Iraq, Hong Kong, Thailand and Namibia.

There are few easy games in world football but the Bhangra Boys will play without the millstone of expectation. What's more, willing them on will be a billion or so fans back home. Just ask Iraq - emotional waves of support from home can be a potent force.

Keeper Subrata Pal, 24, forms a solid last line of defence but a lot of attention will be on skipper and Indian football great Baichung Bhutia.

The striker's experience with Bury a decade ago gave him the exalted status of first Indian player to play in Europe. Over 100 caps for his country makes him an obvious leader despite lingering concerns about his 34-year-old body. He's even won Jhaluk Dikhhla Jaa, India's version of Dancing With the Stars!

To make any sort of impression on the group, India will need the entire team to
play to their maximum ability. They lack experience and quality at this level, though. And not playing in the cut-and-thrust of AFC Asian Cup qualifiers has robbed them of high-quality games. It's a question mark for sure but in a land where mystics reign, the Bhangra Boys will be pinning most of their hopes on a wizard from Kansas for some divine intervention in Doha.

Star Man
Kansas City Wizard Sunil Chhetri is proving India's X-factor. The 26-year-old is the first Indian player to have signed with an MLS club after making the switch from the I-League in 2010. And although he's been a peripheral figure in Kansas City, Chhetri's played regularly for India in a busy lead-up program.

The Coach
Bobby Houghton - The English-born coach has had a storied career, spanning 14 clubs in 10 countries, three national teams and over 30 years, including time at Bristol City, Al-Ittihad and Uzbekistan. He remains most famous for taking Swedish part-timers Malmo to the 1979 European Cup final. Since he signed in 2006 he's won the AFC Challenge Cup and the Nehru Cup twice. Earlier this year he resigned from his position, but performed a U-turn and signed a new contract.

FourFourTwo predicts...
Just evading bottom spot in the group will be an achievement for India - qualifying will require a miracle.