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India was drawn in group B in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 at the Katara Opera House in Doha on Thursday. It got the fourth spot (B4) in the group. Syria and Uzbekistan are the other teams drawn in that group.
This will be India’s fifth appearance in the AFC Asian Cup, with the Blue Tigers having participated at the continental level in 1964, 1984, 2011, and 2019 previously.
Their best finish in Asia has been a runners-up place in the 1964 edition of the competition.
More details about India’s group stage opponents in AFC Asian Cup.
Australia
FIFA Ranking – 38
Best Performance in Asian Cup – Champions (2015)
Recent Achievement – Qualified for the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup
Head-to-head vs India
Games played – 8
Wins – 5
Draws – 1
Australia is one of the favourites going into the Asian Cup. The Socceroos had a memorable World Cup campaign, where they fell to a narrow defeat to eventual champion Argentina in the Round of 16.
India can take confidence from the fact that one of its greatest football wins came against Australia, back in 1956 when it beat the Aussies 4-2 in the Olympics quarterfinals.
The most recent encounter between the two sides happened in the 2011 Asian Cup, when Australia beat India 4-0.
Uzbekistan
FIFA Ranking – 77
Best Performance in Asian Cup – Fourth Place finish (2011)
Achievement – Have qualified for all AFC Asian Cups since independence.
Head-to-head vs India
Games played – 6
Wins – 4
Draws – 2
Uzbekistan, the Pot 2 representative in Group B, had a relatively easy qualification for the AFC Asian Cup. The Central Asian side had to deal with the lower-ranked Sri Lanka, Maldives and Thailand to secure a spot in Qatar.
The White Wolves though have had a disappointing last few years, with the side failing to make the final round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.
Uzbekistan will be bolstered by the fact that it has never lost to India, with their last game coming way back in 2001, with the Blue Tigers slumping to a 1-2 defeat.
Syria
FIFA Ranking – 90
Best Performance in Asian Cup – Group Stage (six times)
Recent Achievement – 2018 World Cup final playoff defeat against Australi
Head-to-head vs India
Games played – 6
Wins – 2
Draws – 1
Defeats – 3
Syria qualified for the AFC Asian Cup after it beat Maldives and Guam in the qualifiers.
Despite its lengthy tryst with the tournament, Syria has never made it past the group stage. India has a positive head-to-head record against the Middle-East side, with the Blue Tigers holding its Group B opponents for 1-1 draw in their last game, which happened in the 2019 AIFF Inter-Continental Cup.
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