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The Indian national team opened their journey in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers with a 2-0 victory against Cambodia on Wednesday. The Blue Tigers dominated the game from start to finish and pinned down the Angkor Warriors. However, tougher challenges lay ahead for Igor Stimac's men.
In the second round of Group D fixtures, India will lock horns against Afghanistan at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on June 11. The Lions of Khorasan, meanwhile, are coming into the fixture on the back of a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Hong Kong. The Afghans will be hungry to bounce back to winning ways.
Moreover, head coach Anoush Dastgir had earlier opined that India were 'very lucky' to come away with victories in their previous encounters and Afghanistan are here in search of a 'revenge'. Hence, the Blue Tigers must be wary of the Pashtun Lions.
Although Hong Kong pressured and dominated the Afghans in the first half, Dastgir's men responded strongly in the second 45 and even pulled a goal back. Meanwhile, Sunil Chhetri and Co. were minimally tested in the first game. But matters might be completely different on Saturday night.
AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers | Afghanistan vs India: Key Players
#1 Sunil Chhetri (India)
There's very little left to say about Sunil Chhetri that hasn't already been echoed. The talismanic forward will be India's most potent attacking threat against Afghanistan, as the 37-year-old has been for over a decade.
He scored a brace in the Cambodia game, one from the penalty spot and another with a thumping header.
Chhetri is also the joint top-scorer, along with Jeje Lalpekhlua, against Afghanistan with three goals. The veteran striker has an opportunity to chalk up that record solely to his name tonight.
#2 Farshad Noor (Afghanistan)
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan skipper will be an absolute menace in the middle of the park against the Blue Tigers. Farshad Noor is an absolute metronome and can play across multiple positions in central midfield. Everything good about the Afghan attacking force goes through Noor and against India, it shouldn't be any different.
The 27-year-old also scored in their last game in the 2-1 loss to Hong Kong. Hence, Igor Stimac will have to marshall his troops well to keep control of Farshad.
AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers | Afghanistan vs India: Predicted Lineups
India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Naorem Roshan Singh, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra; Anirudh Thapa, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Brandon Fernandes; Liston Colaco, Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh.
Afghanistan: Ovayz Azizi (GK); David Najem, Sharif Mukhammad, Zohib Amiri, Najim Haidary; Farshad Noor, Noor Husin, Maziar Kouhyar, Omid Popalzay; Omran Haydari, Mushtaq Ahmadi.
AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers | Afghansitan vs India: Livestream and telecast details
The AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifier match between India and Afghanistan will be telecast in India from the Salt Lake Stadium on Star Sports at 8.30 PM IST on June 11. The game can also be live streamed via Disney+ Hotstar or JioTV.
AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers | Afghanistan vs India: Head-to-head
The Blue Tigers have an impressive record against the Lions of Khorasan. The two teams have played each other on 10 occasions previously, with India winning six times while Afghanistan have recorded just a single victory. The remaining three matches finished in a stalemate.
The last time the two sides locked horns was in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers exactly a year back in June 2021. The two sides settled for a 1-1 draw in the game. Goalkeeper Ovayz Azizi scored an own goal while Afghanistan equalized late through Hossein Zamani.
