India to face Uzbekistan with a 'Winning Spirit'

Team India

India, despite never having secured a win against the higher-ranked Uzbekistan in previous encounters, is optimistic about their chances, according to head coach Igor Stimac.

Ahead of their AFC Asian Cup match, Stimac is relying on significant support in Qatar, hoping to bounce back after a 2-0 loss to Australia in their Group B opener.

The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, with a capacity of 45,000, will host the crucial match for both teams, as Uzbekistan seeks their first victory after being held by Syria in their first game. Stimac emphasizes a winning mentality and draws confidence from the massive fan support, anticipating a challenging game against Uzbekistan's technical and formidable team. Australia leads the group with Uzbekistan in third place, behind Syria, while India is positioned at the bottom.

Uzbekistan's coach, Srecko Katanec, encourages his team to aim for victory against India, emphasizing the need to be patient and determined during the match. The outcome will impact their advancement to the next stage. 

The match is scheduled for 5:30 pm following the Australia-Syria game at 2:30 pm at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

Group B - India vs Uzbekistan

Inaugural meeting: India and Uzbekistan will meet for the first time in the AFC Asian Cup. However, Uzbekistan holds an unbeaten record in their six previous men's internationals against India, winning four and drawing two, including a 2-1 victory in their latest encounter in June 2001.

Tough stat: India has faced difficulties in the AFC Asian Cup, losing nine out of their last 11 matches (with one win and one draw). Despite this, their pass accuracy against Australia in the current tournament's opening game was 69%, marking their highest in the last five AFC Asian Cup matches.

Resolute defending: India showcased resilient defending by blocking 12 shots on Matchday One, twice the combined total of the other three teams in Group B (6). Rahul Bheke and Sandesh Jhingan from India each contributed with four blocks.

Almost perfect: Uzbekistan's Umarbek Eshmurodov demonstrated exceptional accuracy with a 98% success rate from 57 passes on Matchday One, the highest among Group B players. Additionally, Otabek Shukurov attempted the third-highest number of passes overall, with 98 attempts.

Source: The Peninsula