The India national football team will square off against Uzbekistan in their second Group B match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
The India vs Uzbekistan AFC Asian Cup 2023 Group B match will start at 8:00 PM IST on Thursday, January 18. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.
Under head coach Igor Stimac, India produced a resilient display against Australia in their AFC Asian Cup 2023 opener on Saturday.
Ranked 102nd in the latest FIFA rankings, the Indian men’s football team held Australia to a goalless draw in the first half. However, the world’s 25th ranked side later intensified their attack in the second half and scored two goals to bag three points from the game.
With the win, Australia are placed at the top of the Group B standings while India are placed at the bottom.
The Sunil Chhetri-led Blue Tigers will aim to secure their first-ever win against Uzbekistan, who are ranked 68th in the FIFA rankings.
On the other hand, the Uzbekistan national football team was held to a goalless draw by Syria in their opening match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Having bagged a point each, Syria and Uzbekistan are placed second and third on the Group B points table.
Since their independence in 1991, Uzbekistan have qualified to every AFC Asian Cup and also reached the semi-finals at 2011 Asian Cup.
India will need to bring their A-game against Uzbekistan, who has had the upper hand in their previous six meetings.
As per the AFC Asian Cup 2023 format, the top two teams from each group along with the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.
India vs Uzbekistan football head-to-head
Uzbekistan have never lost to India in international football, registering four wins and two draws.
The last time these two sides met, Uzbekistan beat India 2-1 in a group match of Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia in 2001.
Where to watch India vs Uzbekistan AFC Asian Cup 2023 match live in India
The India vs Uzbekistan AFC Asian Cup 2023 match will be telecast live on Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD TV channels in India.
Live streaming of the India vs Uzbekistan AFC Asian Cup 2023 match will be available on the JioCinema app and website.
Photo credit: Alamy
