Skipper Sunil Chhetri and his Indian football team are all set for their last AFC Asian Cup group B match against Syria, where they aim to win and secure a spot in the knockout stage for the first time in the tournament.
The Blue Tigers kicked off their AFC Asian Cup with a disappointing 0-2 defeat against Australia. Coach Igor Stimac’s men faced the same fate in the following match, where their other group B opponent, Uzbekistan, scored three goals, pushing India to the bottom of Group B. However, the Chhetri-led Indian side have a final opportunity to secure a knockout qualification when they face Syria at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar on Tuesday, January 23.
Syria holds a slim one-point lead over India in the Group B standings of the AFC Asian Cup after they managed a goalless draw in their tournament debut against Uzbekistan. However, in their following match, they suffered a 0-1 loss to Australia, putting them in the same risky bracket as India.
Syria are currently ranked 91st in FIFA, which is 11 spots ahead of India at 102nd. Despite the challenge, Coach Igor Stimac’s team has a shot at victory, drawing inspiration from past wins in the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup tournaments. In their previous encounter during the 2019 Intercontinental Cup in Ahmedabad, the teams played to a 1-1 draw, marking the possibility of India going for a win on Tuesday.
Qualification chances for India
India need to win against Syria at Al Bayt, to have a shot at finishing third in Group B. However, securing that spot doesn’t guarantee advancement to the round of 16. The goal difference, currently at minus five after two matches, plays a crucial role if teams are tied on points.
Getting one of the four third-place spots out of six for the knockout stage may be challenging given the current standings. To find out their ultimate fate, India will be looking eagerly on the Thursday, January 25 fixture of the AFC Asian Cup, when the last group matches for Group E and F take place.
When and where to watch
The AFC Asian Cup fixture between India and Syria can be streamed live on the JioCinema app and will be televised on Sports18 on Tuesday, January 23, 5:00 pm IST.
