AFC Asian Cup 2023: Indian Football has qualified for back-to-back AFC Asian Cup for the first time in history

India Qualifies for AFC Asian Cup 2023

 

It was one hell of a night amidst the storm and rain at Yuvabharathi Kirangan in Kolkata. India was up against Hongkong in their final game of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers. The national team went on to register an emphatic 4-0 victory. Anwar Ali, Sunil Chettri, Manvir Singh, and Ishan Pandita were on the scorecard for the Blue Tigers in Kolkata. With the win, India qualified with fashion for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2023.

How we can upscale the quality of Indian football ecosystem ?

India faced Cambodia, Hongkong, and Afghanistan in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. Against Cambodia, it was a cakewalk for the Blue Pilgrims with a 2-0 win whereas India snatched the Fergie time winner against Afghanistan. India went into the lead in the 85th minute but they could not keep up the lead. Sahal Abdul Samad scored the goal in injury time to snatch all three points.

This is the first time, India has qualified for the back-to-back AFC Asian Cup. The last time when India had qualified for AFC Asian Cup, India was on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stage until they conceded a late penalty. The team will look to make amends to their current manager Igor Stimac and create a name for themselves.

Key Players for India Football Team

For India to perform well in AFC Asian Cup 2023, they will rely on the star performers like Sunil Chettri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, and Rahul Bheke. Along with these, the team will also look up to young performers like Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Wangjam, and Ashique Kuruniyan to step up and perform in the quadrennial competition.

How many teams qualify for AFC Asian Cup 2023?

Japan

Syria

Qatar

India

South Korea

Australia

Iran

Saudi Arabia

China

United Arab Emirates

Iraq

Oman

Vietnam

Lebanon

Jordan

Indonesia

Palestine

Uzbekistan

Thailand

Hongkong

Bahrain

Malaysia

Tajikistan

Kyrgyzstan