AFC Asian Cup 2023, Group B preview: Team news, squad, Australia eyes top spot in Qatar 2024
Beginning with four teams in 1958, the competition grew to 24 teams in 2019. This is a sneak peek at Group B, which has Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria and India.
Published : Jan 10, 2024 07:33 IST , Chennai - 4 MINS READ
The 18th edition of the premier competition in Asia’s continental arena, the AFC Asian Cup, is scheduled to get underway in Qatar on January 12 at the Lusail Stadium in Doha.
Beginning with four teams in 1958, the competition grew to 24 teams in 2019 and will maintain its expanded format in 2024. This is a sneak peek at Group B, which has Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria and India.
AUSTRALIA
FIFA Ranking: 25
Best finish: Champions (2015)
Coach: Graham Arnold
Prospects: Australia’s stunning 2022 World Cup campaign, where they ran eventual champions Argentina close in the last 16, has encouraged hopes that the 2015 champions and 2011 runners-up will be around at the business end of the tournament.
Arnold has plenty of new faces in his squad but they know the conditions in Doha well and he will hope the togetherness and fighting spirit behind their success at the World Cup have survived the personnel changes.
FULL AUSTRALIA SQUAD
UZBEKISTAN
FIFA Ranking: 68
Best finish: Semi-finals (2011)
Coach: Srecko Katanec (Slovenia)
Prospects: Uzbekistan have at least got out of their group at the last five editions of the Asian Cup and earned plenty of admirers over the years for their neat, technical passing game.
Their chances of going deep in Qatar suffered a huge blow when Italy-based top scorer and captain Eldor Shomurodov was ruled out of the tournament with a leg injury.
FULL UZBEKISTAN SQUAD
FIFA Ranking: 102
Best finish: Runners up (1964)
Coach: Igor Stimac (Croatia)
Prospects: India have failed to progress past the group stage in their last three attempts and as the lowest-ranked side in the group, their prospects of bucking that trend this time around appear bleak.
However, their record-extending victory in last year’s South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship and their recent 1-0 win over Kuwait in a World Cup qualifier will give Stimac’s side cause to believe.
FULL INDIA SQUAD
FIFA Ranking: 102
Best finish: Runners up (1964)
Coach: Igor Stimac (Croatia)
Prospects: India have failed to progress past the group stage in their last three attempts and as the lowest-ranked side in the group, their prospects of bucking that trend this time around appear bleak.
However, their record-extending victory in last year’s South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship and their recent 1-0 win over Kuwait in a World Cup qualifier will give Stimac’s side cause to believe.
FULL INDIA SQUAD
SYRIA
FIFA Ranking: 91
Best finish: Group stage (1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2019)
Coach: Hector Cuper (Argentina)
Prospects: Former Valencia and Inter coach Cuper was brought on board last year but has struggled to put out a side that can compete with Asia’s heavyweights.
A 5-0 humbling at the hands of Japan in a World Cup qualifier in Jeddah in November suggests that Syria will do well to get out of a tough group and into the knockout stages for the first time.
FULL SYRIA SQUAD
INDIA
FIFA Ranking: 102
Best finish: Runners up (1964)
Coach: Igor Stimac (Croatia)
Prospects: India have failed to progress past the group stage in their last three attempts and as the lowest-ranked side in the group, their prospects of bucking that trend this time around appear bleak.
However, their record-extending victory in last year’s South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship and their recent 1-0 win over Kuwait in a World Cup qualifier will give Stimac’s side cause to believe.