The Blue Tigers are at the bottom of the four-team table, having lost their opening fixture 2-0 against heavyweights Australia on Saturday, while White Wolves played out a goalless draw with Syria.
Follow Us
India will be bidding to register their first point on board in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 when they take on Uzbekistan in a Group B fixture at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Thursday. The Blue Tigers are at the bottom of the four-team table, having lost their opening fixture 2-0 against heavyweights Australia on Saturday, while White Wolves played out a goalless draw with Syria in their first fixture of the tournament. Meanwhile these two nations have faced each other on eight occasions, with the Turanians winning five times, two clashes ended in draws and India have triumphed only once.
#BlueTigers 🐯take battle stations 🇮🇳against Uzbekistan 🇺🇿
Preview Report 👉🏼 https://t.co/RhJ8Iu901D#AsianCup2023 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/eqtqkZlwjq
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 17, 2024
India gave a good account of their defensive prowess against Australia at the weekend, keeping the score 0-0 for 50 minutes before goalkeeper Jackson Irvine capitalised on an error by goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and calmly put the ball into the back of the net. The Socceroos doubled the lead 17 minutes from time thanks to substitute Jordan Bos’s simle tap-in from close range. Igor Stimac’s side have now failed to score in three of their last five outings, recording four defeats and just one victory in the period. Their last success came against Kuwait in a 2026 World Cup qualifying mid-way through November. The Croatian tactician, who opted for a defensive lineup in the opening fixture could probably bring in the likes of Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad into the playing XI, hoping to get a result against a side ranked 34 places above them, according to FIFA.
Uzbekistan, on the other hand, would be disappointed with their goalless draw with Syria on Saturday. Though Nosour Qasioun started the match brightly, White Wolves looked the better side as the match progressed. Syria custodian Ahmad Madania made the first real save of the match six minutes from time, when substitute Abbosbek Fayzullaev tested the 34-year-old with a fine long-ranger. A minute into the injury time, Madania was once again called into action, calmly collecting a header from Igor Sergeev. Uzbeks ended the match with more than 65% ball possession, while restricting the Syrian’s to zero shots on target. Meanwhile, Srecko Katanec’s side have now extended their unbeaten run to eight games in all competitions, recording five wins in the process.
India probable starting lineup: Sandhu, Poojary, Jhingan, Bheke, Mishra, Apuia, Wangjam, Thapa, Manvir, Chhangte, Chhetri
Uzbekistan probable starting lineup: Yusupov, Khusanov, Eshmurodov, Ashurmatov, Turgunboev, Hamrobekov, Shukurov, Sayfiev, Fayzullaev, Masharipov, Sergeyev
India
| Opponents | Score |
| Australia | 2-0 (L) |
| Qatar | 0-3 (L) |
| Kuwait | 0-1(W) |
| Malaysia | 4-2 (L) |
| Lebanon | 1-0 (L) |
Uzbekistan
| Opponents | Score |
| Syria | 0-0 (D) |
| Palestine | 1-0 (W) |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1-4 (W) |
| Iran | 2-2 (D) |
| Turkmenistan | 1-3 (W) |
The AFC Asian Cup fixture between India and Uzbekistan will take place at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium on Thursday at 8:00 pm IST.
| India vs Uzbekistan | Key Details |
| Date | January 18 |
| Venue | Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Qatar | 5:30 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 8:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in Uzbekistan | 7:30 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 Uzbekistan can catch the live action via Uzsport TV.
More football news:
Football flashback: Manchester United and the senseless victory in the Champions League in 1999
