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At the highly-anticipated draw for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 on Thursday, May 11, the Indian national men's team was slotted into Group B alongside Syria, Uzbekistan, and Australia.
With Australia currently ranked 29 in the world, Uzbekistan 74, and Syria placed in the 90th spot, Sunil Chhetri and Co. will need a miraculous campaign to make it through to the playoffs.
This will be India's fifth appearance in the continental event, having previously participated on four occasions in 1964, 1984, 2011, and 2019.
The Blue Tigers' remarkable 4-1 triumph against Thailand at the Asian Cup four years ago is still etched in the memories of Indian football fans. It was a display of attacking brilliance led by the country's top scorer Sunil Chhetri that had the nation celebrating in unison.
However, the jubilation was short-lived as the team's performance deteriorated in the subsequent matches. Disappointing defeats against the hosts, UAE, and Bahrain in the following fixtures extinguished India's hopes of progressing any further in the 2019 Asian Cup.
India, under the tutelage of head coach Igor Stimac, is now focused on preparing for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar next year. The team's upcoming tournaments will be critical in building momentum and fine-tuning their strategies ahead of the competition.
India had an encouraging start to their calendar year with an impressive performance in the Hero Tri-Nation Cup held in Imphal, Manipur. The team secured victories over Myanmar (1-0) and the Kyrgyz Republic (2-0), providing a boost to their confidence ahead of the upcoming tournaments.
They will now quickly shift their focus to the Hero Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship 2023 in June and July.
The full draw of the AFC Asian Cup 2023
Group A: Qatar, China PR, Tajikistan, Lebanon.
Group B: Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, India.
Group C: Iran, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Palestine.
Group D: Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, Vietnam.
Group E: Korea Republic, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain.
Group F: Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyz Republic, Oman.
