The 18 Greatest AFC Asian Cup Coaches of All Time

European tacticians, homegrown legends and surprise underdog architects clash across decades of Asian football. Which name lifts your trophy?

1. 1
   Carlos Alberto Parreira

   Brazilian coach who won the Asian Cup twice with two different nations, Kuwait in 1980 and Saudi Arabia in 1988.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Nelo Vingada

   Portuguese coach who led Saudi Arabia to their third Asian Cup in 1996, beating hosts UAE on penalties in the final.
   756pts
3. 3
   Alberto Zaccheroni

   Italian tactician who delivered Japan a record-equalling fourth Asian Cup in 2011.
   724pts
4. 4
   Ange Postecoglou

   Australian boss who won the 2015 Asian Cup as host nation manager.
   665pts
5. 5
   Arie Haan

   Dutch coach who guided host nation China to the 2004 Asian Cup final in Beijing, their best result in two decades.
   596pts
6. 6
   Philippe Troussier

   French coach who guided Japan to a dominant 2000 Asian Cup triumph.
   596pts
7. 7
   Zico

   Brazilian icon who lifted the 2004 AFC Asian Cup as Japan's manager.
   517pts
8. 8
   Heshmat Mohajerani

   Iranian coach who completed Iran's Asian Cup hat-trick at home in 1976 without conceding a goal, then took Team Melli to the 1978 World Cup.
   517pts
9. 9
   Mohammad Ranjbar

   Iranian coach who retained the Asian Cup for Iran in 1972 in Thailand, beating South Korea in an extra-time final.
   423pts
10. 10
    Mahmoud Bayati

    Iranian coach who led Team Melli to their first Asian Cup on home soil in 1968, winning every match of the tournament.
    423pts
11. 11
    Tintín Márquez

    Spanish coach who took over Qatar weeks before the 2023 tournament on home soil and successfully defended the Asian Cup title.
    423pts
12. 12
    Carlos Queiroz

    Portuguese coach who led Iran through multiple Asian Cups with a defensively dominant Team Melli.
    310pts
13. 13
    Jorvan Vieira

    Brazilian manager who led a war-torn Iraq to their fairy-tale 2007 Asian Cup triumph.
    310pts
14. 14
    Uli Stielike

    German manager who took South Korea to the 2015 Asian Cup final.
    310pts
15. 15
    Jamal Sellami

    Moroccan coach who led Jordan to their first Asian Cup final in 2023, knocking out South Korea in the semi-finals.
    310pts
16. 16
    Hajime Moriyasu

    Current Japan boss who has overseen consistent Asian Cup and World Cup deep runs.
    310pts
17. 17
    Jürgen Klinsmann

    German coach who led South Korea to the 2023 Asian Cup semifinals.
    310pts
18. 18
    Félix Sánchez

    Spanish coach who built Qatar from its youth teams and won the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE with seven straight victories.
    310pts

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