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After weeks of protests, pleas, and uproar, the Indian men's football team were granted access to participate in the 2023 Asian Games on Thursday, July 26.
The draws followed a day after and the Blue Tigers have been clubbed alongside Myanmar, China, and Bangladesh in Group A.
The top team from each group and the three best second-placed teams will advance to the quarter-finals, hence Igor Stimac's men have a formidable chance of qualifying past the group stages.
But given only U-24 players, along with three senior players, can participate in the tournament, at the moment it's difficult to gauge the competitiveness of every team.
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However, let's try to breakdown the quality of India's group-stage opponents in the upcoming Asian Games:
#1 China
Probably, the sternest test for India on paper, China, are ranked 60th in the latest FIFA rankings, compared to India's 99. They are the highest-ranked team in Group A and definitely, the favorites to top the class.
None of their current senior team players fall below the U24 category, so we can expect a largely revamped side in the Asian Games. The East Asian heavyweights, however, have been in fine form in international football recently, defeating their group-stage opponents Myanmar 4-0 in June and then Palestine 2-0 a few days later.
India are yet to register even a single victory against China, but the last time they locked horns, in 2018, it ended a 0-0 stalemate.
#2 Myanmar
Sitting in the 160th spot, Myanmar should be an opposition that the Blue Tigers are likely to pounce on with ease. But they do have an advantage of sorts when it comes to the age of the senior team players. Plenty of players in the Myanmar national team are below the age of 24, hence will be able to participate in Asian Games.
Having most of the senior team players at their disposal would make Myanmar an opposition to be wary of. India, meanwhile, have had a strong record against the Chinthe with their only defeat coming way back in 2013.
Most recently, Igor Stimac's men dismantled the continental neighbors in the Hero Tri-Nation Cup to win 1-0. However, the match did prove that if marshaled well, Myanmar can be a lean, mean defensive unit.
#3 Bangladesh
The lowest-ranked (189th) team in Group A, Bangladesh, doesn't have many expectations resting on their shoulders. However, in Asian Games 2018, the Bengal Tigers did surprise many to book a berth in the Round of 16. Although they lost to North Korea in the knockouts, it was still an achievement to qualify from a group, consisting of Thailand, Qatar, and Uzbekistan.
Hence, it's not a fixture where Stimac and Co. can just rest on their laurels. India, although, have a formidable record against Bangladesh having lost only twice. Their last defeat came way back in 1999.
But more recently, the Blue Tigers struggled to come away with significant results against their neighboring rivals, as four of their last five encounters have ended in stalemates.
