Australia's only triumph in this tournament came in 2015 when they were the hosts, beating South Korea 2-1 in the final, while the SAFF nation's best performance was way back in 1964, finishing runners-up.
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India will kickoff their AFC Asian Cup 2024 campaign with a Group B fixture against favourites Australia at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Saturday. It will be a second successive appearance for the Blue Tigers at this tournament after wining all three of their third-round fixtures, while the Socceroos are set to compete in their fifth consecutive Asian Cup since moving from Oceania to the Asian Football Confederation in 2006. Australia’s only triumph in this tournament came in 2015 when they were the hosts, beating South Korea 2-1 in the final, while the SAFF nation’s best performance was way back in 1964, finishing runners-up.
𝗚𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 ⚙️⏳
🇦🇺 🆚 🇮🇳
#AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/970Sb0DzFd— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 12, 2024
India have qualified for successive Asian Cup’s for the first time in its history, conceding just a single goal in the third round fixtures. Igor Stimac’s side have certainly punched above their weight in the recent times, recording wins against the likes of Lebanon and Kuwait in the SAFF Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Though Blue Tigers (102) are the lowest ranked team, according to FIFA, in Group B they will definitely fancy their chances against the likes of Uzbekistan (68) and Syria (91). In 2019, India started their Asian Cup campaign with a thrilling 4-1 win over Thailand, before losing 2-0 to hosts UAE in the second round of Group C fixture. Stephan Constantine’s men needed just a draw against Bahrain in their final group match to progress to the last-16 stage, but a 91st-minute penalty saw the Blue Tigers finishing at the bottom of the table on three points.
Australia, on the other hand, are currently the fourth highest ranked side in Asia according to FIFA (25th). The Socceroos reached the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were beaten by eventual champions Argentina. Meanwhile, Graham Arnold’s side are have not lost to an Asian opponent since March 2022, outscoring their last three opponents from this region with an aggregate score of 10-0. The 2015 champions are heading into the match on the back of four successive wins in all competitions, with the latest success coming against Bahrain in a friendly last week. The Socceroos have always made it beyond the group stage of this tournament since their first appearance in 2007, exiting at the quarter-final stage in the last edition five years ago.
Australia probable starting lineup: Gauci, Atkinson, Souttar, Burgess, Bos, McGree, O’Neill, Irvine, Goodwin, Duke, Boyle
India probable starting lineup: Sandhu, Poojary, Jhingan, Bheke, Bose, Wangjam, Ralte, N. Singh, Samad, Chhangte, Chhteri
Australia
| Opponents | Score |
| Bahrain | 0-2 (W) |
| Palestine | 0-1 (W) |
| Bangladesh | 7-0 (W) |
| New Zealand | 2-0 (W) |
| England | 2-0 (L) |
India
| Opponents | Score |
| Qatar | 0-3 (L) |
| Kuwait | 0-1 (W) |
| Malaysia | 4-2 (W) |
| Lebanon | 1-0 (L) |
| Iraq | 3-2 (L) |
| Last match-result | Score |
| Australia beat India | 0-4 |
The AFC Asian Cup fixture between Australia and India will take place at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium on Saturday at 5:00 pm IST.
| Australia vs India | Key Details |
| Date | January 13 |
| Venue | Ahmed bin Ali Stadium |
| Kickoff time in India | 5:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in Qatar | 2:30 pm |
| Kickoff time in Australia | 10:30 pm |
The live telecast of the AFC Asian Cup matches in India will be available on Sports 18 network. Besides, football fans in India can also live stream the game through Jio Cinema. Meanwhile, those in Australia can watch the match on Paramount + and 10 network.
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