India have been drawn in Group B of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, after the draw ceremony was conducted at the Qatar Opera House, in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, May 11, 2023.
The Blue Tigers, who are ranked 101 in the FIFA Rankings, and will be playing the AFC Asian Cup for the fifth time, are set to meet Australia (ranked 29th), Uzbekistan (ranked 74th), and Syria (ranked 90th) in the tournament proper. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, Senior Menโs National Team head coach Igor Stimac, and Womenโs national coach Maymol Rocky were present at the Qatar Opera House for the official draw ceremony.
Beginning from Pot 4, India were the first team to be drawn into Group B, gaining B4, after which they were successively placed alongside Syria (B3), Uzbekistan (B2) and Australia (B1), respectively.
Men’s National Team head coach Igor Stimac said after the draw, ‘We will be facing Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria in the AFC Asian Cup, and it’s going to be a tough battle for us. It’s much tougher than four years ago, but we will be there to fight every step of the way.
“It’s all about the time we have in front of us to prepare well, to obtain the work that is needed, and to be at the strongest possible point by next January.”
Speaking ahead of the Official Draw Ceremony, Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said, โThe last time the AFC Asian Cup was played in Qatar was 12 years ago, and there has been great progress since then. We have also initiated key enhancements. There are 24 teams in the AFC Asian Cup now, a new trophy, and $15 million in prize money. The impact is clear to see. On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to express our gratitude to the QFA and the LOC, and we also thank the 24 participating nations. The stage is now set for a truly memorable chapter in the history of the tournament. We wish all the teams the very best.โ
