WILL INDIA QUALIFIES FOR AFC ASIAN CUP 2023 ROUND OF 16

For the AFC Asian Cup 2023, the Indian men's national football team has been placed in Group B alongside Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. on May 11, 2023, in a draw that took place in Doha.

It seems like a difficult draw for India because Igor Stimac's team has yet to defeat Syria and Australia and Uzbekistan have been playing well and are ranked considerably higher. India has its work cut out for them because only the top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-place teams, advance to the round of 16.

India will be competing in the Asian Cup for the fifth time, however this will be their first back-to-back appearance. The competition will take place in Qatar from January 12 until February 10, 2024.

Even before India defeated Hong Kong later that day, Palestine had defeated the Philippines on the penultimate matchday of qualifying, securing Palestine's qualification in the second stage of qualifying. In the preliminary round of qualifying, India had previously placed third, behind Qatar and Oman (and ahead of Afghanistan and Bangladesh). They received seven points, compared to 22 for Qatar and 18 for Oman. Additionally, the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying process began at this point. India won their group and qualified after defeating Hong Kong (4-0), Afghanistan (2-1), and Cambodia (2-0) in the following qualification round. Sahal Abdul Samad and Sunil Chhetri were among those who shone as India put on their longest stretch of consistently excellent performances. In all three games, head coach Igor Stimac fielded offensive lineups as India produced some of the finest football the national team has seen in a while.

AFC president Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the successful hosting of the 2022 World Cup by Qatar proves this Asian Cup will be: “a true spectacle never before experienced in Asian football history.”

THE TOURNAMENT

The successful hosting of the 2022 World Cup by Qatar, according to AFC President Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, shows that this Asian Cup would be "a true spectacle never before experienced in Asian football history."

In a statement, he continued, "We have every confidence that they will demonstrate their unmatched hosting capabilities, cutting-edge infrastructure, and gracious hospitality. Only the 80,000-seat Lusail, which held the World Cup final, and the temporary Stadium 974 made mainly of shipping containers won't be used. Six of the eight venues for the event hosted World Cup matches last year. These two World Cup venues are replaced by two more compact stadiums in Doha. From the six groups, the top two teams go to the knockout rounds, while the four best third-place teams do not.

GROUPS

A: Qatar, China, Tajikistan, Lebanon

B: Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, India

C: Iran, UAE, Hong Kong, Palestine

D: Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, Vietnam

E: South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain

F: Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Oman

What city will host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup?

Eight stadiums, including Al Janoub Stadium, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, and Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, will host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

These six locations saw action during the FIFA World Cup 2022.

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"This is the first time that India has qualified for consecutive editions of the AFC Asian Cup, and it's a fantastic opportunity for our country to be back at this stage," said Maymol Rocky, who was conducting the draw along with other officials from throughout Asia. I have no doubt that the team has prepared thoroughly, and I believe we can make history by making it to the Round of 16.With their title defence set to begin against two-time runners-up China PR, Tajikistan, and Lebanon in Group A, the other groups feature tournament hosts and defending champions Qatar as the top-seeded team.