AFC Asian Cup 2019: India’s previous performance at the Asian continental event; squad, group stage fixtures; results

In its previous four campaigns, India has been knocked out in the group stages on three occasions, including the previous edition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2019.

FILE PHOTO: Indian football team in action during the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. | Photo Credit: AIFF Media

India will participate for the fifth time in Asia’s biggest continental tournament when the AFC Asian Cup 2023 kicks off on January 12 in Qatar.

India has been paired alongside Australia, Syria and Uzbekistan in Group B and will play its first match of the tournament against Australia at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on January 13.

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In its previous four campaigns, India has been knocked out in the group stages on three occasions, including the previous edition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2019.

Let’s have a deeper look at how India performed in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

India was paired alongside hosts UAE, Thailand and Bahrain in the previous edition of the tournament. India was ranked 97 in the world ahead of 113th-placed Bahrain and 118th-placed Thailand but behind 79th-ranked UAE.

Under Stephen Constantine, the team kickstarted the group stages on the right note, beating Thailand 4-1 thanks to a double from Sunil Chhetri and goals from Anirudh Thapa and Jeje Lalpekhlua.

A reverse against the hosts followed in the second fixture, with Khalfan Mubarak and Ali Mabkhout scoring in a 0-2 loss.

A devastating 1-0 loss to Bahrain in the final group game, falling to a 91st-minute penalty meant India finished bottom of the group on three points, one behind Thailand who qualified in second place.

A draw in the final group game would have been enough to take India above Thailand due to its better head-to-head record.

AFC Asian Cup 2019: India results

Thailand (Teerasil 33’) 1 - 4 India (Chhetri 27’ (pen), 48’; Thapa 68’, Lalpekhlua 80’)

India 0 - 2 UAE (Khalf. Mubarak 41’, Mabkhout 88’)

India 0 - 1 Bahrain (Rashid 90+1’ (pen))

India 2019 AFC Asian Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith, Amrinder Singh.

Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Sarthak Golui, Sandesh Jhingan, Anas Edathodika, Salam Ranjan Singh, Subhasish Bose, Narayan Das.

Midfielders: Udanta Singh, Jackichand Singh, Germanpreet Singh, Pronay Halder, Anirudh Thapa, Vinit Rai, Rowllin Borges, Ashique Kuruniyan, Halicharan Narzary.

Forwards: Sumeet Passi, Balwant Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua