AFC Asian Cup draw: India in tough Group B with Australia, Uzbekistan & Syria

The draw for the 2024 AFC Asian Cup was conducted in Doha on Thursday, with the Indian men's football team being placed in Group B alongside powerhouses Australia, Syria, and Uzbekistan. India, who successfully qualified for the tournament, were drawn from pot 4.

Twenty-four teams were divided into four pots and drawn into six groups of four teams each. Originally scheduled to take place in China this summer, the tournament will now be held in Doha in January.

This will be India's fifth appearance in the tournament and the first time they have qualified for back-to-back editions. In the last edition, they started with a convincing win against Thailand but lost their last two matches, falling short of expectations.

Qatar, as the host nation, was automatically placed in Group A and will play in the tournament opener. Iran will be in Group C, Japan in Group D, South Korea in Group E, and Saudi Arabia in Group F. Despite being grouped with heavyweights, India will look to make a strong impression and progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Groups

Group A – Qatar, China, Tajikistan, Lebanon

Group B – Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, India

Group C – Iran, UAE, Hong Kong, Palestine

Group D – Japan, Indonesia, Iraq, Vietnam

Group E – South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain

Group F – Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kyrgyz Republic, Oman