AFC Asian Cup 2023: A look back to Sunil Chhetri & Co's DOMINANT display to QUALIFY for AFC Asian Cup 2023

AFC Asian Cup 2023: Blue Tigers on CHARGE, A look back to Sunil Chhetri & Co’s DOMINANT display to QUALIFY for AFC Asian Cup 2023 – Check Out

Triyasha Chatterjee

Thursday, Apr 4, 2024 12:10 pm

AFC Asian Cup 2023: India AFC Asian Cup 2023: The 12th of January 2024 will mark the opening of the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which will be held in Qatar. After successfully hosting the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the Qatar Football Association has announced that the country will host the top event. Asian Football Confederation […]

AFC Asian Cup 2023: India AFC Asian Cup 2023: The 12th of January 2024 will mark the opening of the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which will be held in Qatar. After successfully hosting the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the Qatar Football Association has announced that the country will host the top event. Asian Football Confederation elected Qatar as the tournament’s host for this time. Led by Igor Stimac, Sunil Chhetri & Co. prepare for their second consecutive appearance in the tournament. Let’s take a walk back to the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers and how Blue Tigers rallied into it. Follow AFC Asian Cup 2023 and Indian Football Team LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN

AFC Asian Cup 2023: Blue Tigers on CHARGE, A look back to Sunil Chhetri & Co’s DOMINANT display to QUALIFY for AFC Asian Cup 2023 – Check Out

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AFC Asian Cup 2023: Blue Tigers on CHARGE, A look back to Sunil Chhetri & Co’s DOMINANT display to QUALIFY for AFC Asian Cup 2023 – Check Out

For the 11 berths in the third round of qualifying, 24 teams competed. The teams were split up into six groups of four teams each, with the group champions and five best runners-up earning spots in the Asian Cup the following year.

India 🇮🇳 have qualified for AFC Asian Cup for the fifth. The #AsianDream for 2023 is 🔙🔛 💙#IndianFootball #AsianCup #ACQ2023 #blueTigers #backtheblue pic.twitter.com/VQuegx9Rgg

— The Football Dug Out (@tfdo_) June 14, 2022

Even before the last third-round qualification game against Hong Kong began, the Indian men’s football team has already earned a spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2023. India won their third and last encounter in Group D of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, 4-0, with ease. India were in the best position to advance after their thrilling, last-second 2-1 victory over Afghanistan and the 2-0 victory over Cambodia owing to skipper Sunil Chhetri’s brilliant play in their opening match.

AFC Asian Cup 2023: Blue Tigers on CHARGE, A look back to Sunil Chhetri & Co’s DOMINANT display to QUALIFY for AFC Asian Cup 2023 – Check Out

They boasted a perfect winning record in the third round of the qualification campaign and displayed bravery when they encountered difficulties. Sunil Chhetri and company never trailed in any of the three games, and Sahal Abdul Samad’s late victory against Afghanistan highlighted the difference in this team’s mentality. They were aggressive, controlled possession, produced many of opportunities, and stayed strong on defense.

India will compete in its sixth AFC Asian Cup in 2023. India has previously participated in the continental competition four times: in 1964, 1984, 2011, and 2019. The team’s best performance came in their inaugural season in 1964, when they finished as runners-up. India had a strong start in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, however they nearly missed qualifying for the knockout round after giving away a late penalty in their last group match against Bahrain.

For the first time ever, India won every game in a given round while only giving up one goal. This was encouraging news for Stimac, and with the Indian domestic season set to grow starting with the 2022–2023 season, there is room for growth. Sunil Chhetri also scored his 84th goal for the country during this campaign, tying famous Hungarian forward Ferenc Puskas for the most international goals scored for one’s country. All eyes are currently on the Asian Cup 2023.