While the return to Qatar may not bring first round games quite as tough as France, Denmark and Tunisia, Australia have been handed one of the tougher 2023 Asian Cup draws in Group B. Uzbekistan and Syria are the teams from pots two and three that many wanted to avoid while India are the highest ranked of the basement boys. As even third place may go through to the second round, the 2015 champions should have few problems in progressing but if they want to finish above all three geographically diverse opponents and enjoy an easier route forward, then it will be best to rediscover that Qatar magic that saw wins against the Danes and the Tunisians.
India
The opening fixture on 13 January brings back memories of another trip to Qatar. Australia kicked off the 2011 Asian Cup against India. Then Holger Osieck’s men ran out 4-0 winners. Graham Arnold will probably spend some of the build-up to the game telling all that this will be a more difficult clash. It should be but it gives the perfect opportunity for a perfect start. If this was in Mumbai or Kolkata then it really would be a mouth-watering appetiser. In recent years the south Asians have been a force to be reckoned with on home soil thanks to victories over Kyrgyzstan, a pot 3 team, as well as Hong Kong. Some would like Croatian coach Igor Stimac to be a little more adventurous but it’s unlikely in such a tough group. They started the 2019 Asian Cup with a stunning 4-1 win over Thailand but few would predict a similar shock this time around especially with veteran striker Sunil Chhetri four years older and the squad made up of domestic-based players.
There is a split in opinion in the subcontinent. Some fans are depressed about the standard of the opposition and expect three losses out of three, while others see it as a welcome and rare chance to play some of Asia’s best teams – the 2011 meeting with Australia is the only one in the last 40 years.
Syria
The Qasioun Eagles may have been in the third pot but are capable of giving anyone in Asia a game, especially in their own backyard. Australian fans are still thanking Tim Cahill for getting the goals to win a tightly-contested 2018 World Cup continental play-off 3-2 in extra-time and Syrian officials still maintain they would have gone to Russia had they been able to play the first leg in Damascus rather than Malaysia. Results in the past 12 months or so have been poor with a string of seven straight defeats against the likes of Oman, Belarus, Venezuela, Jordan and Iraq. It does not look good but the Asian Cup will be different.
Syria can be one of the hardest teams to play against and are not averse to breaking up play, wasting time and frustrating more prestigious opponents. Since February, they have also had Hector Cuper in charge. The Argentine has coached Inter as well as Uzbekistan and Egypt where he did not endear himself to fans with tactics that were seen as overly defensive. He brings organisation and hard-work to the table and also has talented forwards at his disposal. Omar Khribin and Omar Al-Somah, who scored both goals in that World Cup play-off, are still there while there are some promising European-based midfielders such as Oliver Kass Kawo and Ammar Ramadan coming through.
Uzbekistan
There is also recent history with final game opponents. Australia’s record against Uzbekistan is excellent: four games, four wins (kind of, as the 2019 Asian Cup meeting ended goalless but with the Socceroos progressing on penalties) and no goals conceded. The central Asians are still sore about the 6-0 thrashing handed out at the semi-final stage at the 2011 Asian Cup. Srecko Katanec is now in the hotseat. The Slovenian took his homeland to Euro 2000 and the World Cup two years later. Familiar with Asia after a spell in the United Arab Emirates and time with Iraq, where he was well thought of, he arrived in Uzbekistan in 2021. Results and performances, though there has been a lack of competitive games, have been positive
Always technically sound and hard-working, the White Wolves usually boast talented forwards and this team is no different with Eldor Shomurodov, formerly of Roma, able to give even Harry Souttar a run for his money in the air, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s team-mate Jaloliddin Masharipov. The nation have started to have success at youth level, winning the U20 Asian title in March followed by a runners-up spot at the under-23 championships last June. If Katanec can blend the new blood with established stars, then the White Wolves could start to shed their image of Asia’s chokers and start to win things at the senior level though there is a suspicion that it may be a little too soon for a team with much potential.
