Group B of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup took place from 13 to 23 January 2024. The group consisted of Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria and India. The top two teams, Australia and Uzbekistan, along with third-place Syria (as one of the four best third-placed teams), advanced to the round of 16.
Teams Draw position Team Zone Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings April 2023 December 2023 B1 AFF Second round Group B winners 11 June 2021 5th 2019 Winners (2015) 29 25 B2 CAFA Third round Group C winners 14 June 2022 8th 2019 Fourth place (2011) 74 68 B3 WAFF Second round Group A winners 7 June 2021 7th 2019 Group stage (1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2019) 90 91 B4 SAFF Third round Group D winners 14 June 2022 5th 2019 Runners-up (1964) 101 102 Notes
Standings
Matches
Australia vs India This was the first time in 13 years that these two teams had faced each other, as their last meeting had been in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, which saw Australia beat India with a scoreline of 4–0. Australia had not lost to India in 68 years.
After a scoreless first half, an attempt to punch the ball away from Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saw the ball intercepted by Jackson Irvine, who scored Australia's opening goal to break the deadlock despite Gurpreet's effort to block it in the 50th minute. At the 72nd minute, Riley McGree pulled a phase to overcome Lalengmawia Ralte before delivering the decisive pass for Jordan Bos, who then scored in the almost empty net to secure Australia's 2–0 win.
In personal record, it was the first time Graham Arnold managed to win the opening fixture as coach of Australia (1D, 2L), after failing to do so back in the 2007 and 2019 AFC Asian Cups as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
GK 1 Mathew Ryan (c)RB 25Gethin JonesCB 19Harry SouttarCB 4 Kye RowlesLB 16Aziz BehichCM 17Keanu Baccus CM 22Jackson IrvineRW 6 Martin Boyle AM 8 Connor Metcalfe LW 23Craig Goodwin CF 15Mitchell Duke Substitutions:FW 7 Samuel Silvera MF 14Riley McGree DF 5 Jordan Bos FW 9 Bruno Fornaroli MF 13Aiden O'Neill Manager:Graham Arnold GK 1 Gurpreet Singh SandhuRB 21Nikhil PoojaryCB 5 Sandesh JhinganCB 2 Rahul BhekeLB 3 Subhasish Bose CM 25Deepak Tangri CM 19Lalengmawia RalteCM 8 Suresh Singh Wangjam RF 9 Manvir SinghCF 11Sunil Chhetri (c) LF 17Lallianzuala Chhangte Substitutions:MF 12Liston Colaco DF 6Akash Mishra MF 7Anirudh Thapa FW 24Vikram Partap Singh MF 14Naorem Mahesh Singh Manager: Igor Štimac
Man of the Match: Craig Goodwin (Australia)
Assistant referees: Makoto Bozono (Japan) Naomi Teshirogi (Japan) Fourth official: Yusuke Araki (Japan) Reserve assistant referee: Jun Mihara (Japan) Video assistant referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan) Assistant video assistant referees: Jumpei Iida (Japan)
Uzbekistan vs Syria This was the second time that these teams had met in the Asian Cup, having met before in 1996 with Syria emerging victorious among the two after a 2–1 win against Uzbekistan. Their most recent fixture had been a friendly in 2020 where the Syrians beat the Uzbeks 1–0 while their most recent competitive fixture occurred during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, which also ended with Syria winning against Uzbekistan by the same scoreline.
The match was largely dominated by Uzbekistan, but neither Uzbekistan nor Syria could score a goal in this match, with the closest attempt being the surprise goal of Ibrahim Hesar, which was later disallowed for being offside.
GK 1 Utkir YusupovCB 25Abdukodir Khusanov CB 5 Rustam AshurmatovCB 15Umar EshmurodovRM 3 Khojiakbar Alijonov CM 9 Odiljon HamrobekovCM 7 Otabek ShukurovLM 4 Farrukh SayfievRF 10Jaloliddin Masharipov (c) CF 11Oston Urunov LF 20Khojimat Erkinov Substitutions:FW 22Abbosbek Fayzullaev DF 13Sherzod Nasrullaev FW 21Igor Sergeev FW 19Azizbek Turgunboev Manager: Srečko Katanec GK 22Ahmad Madania (c)RB 24Abdul Rahman WeissCB 13Thaer KroumaCB 2 Aiham OusouLB 3 Moayad AjanRM 21Ibrahim HesarCM 18Jalil ElíasCM 4 Ezequiel HamLM 12Ammar RamadanCF 25Mahmoud Al Aswad CF 11Pablo Sabbag Substitutions:FW 7Omar Khribin MF 17Fahd Youssef Manager: Héctor Cúper
Man of the Match: Abdul Rahman Weiss (Syria)
Assistant referees: Abu Bakar Al-Amri (Oman) Rashid Al-Ghaithi (Oman) Fourth official: Mohanad Qasim Sarray (Iraq) Reserve assistant referee: Watheq Al-Swaiedi (Iraq) Video assistant referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar) Assistant video assistant referees: Salman Falahi (Qatar)
Syria vs Australia This was the second straight match between these two teams as they had also faced each other in the previous edition of the Asian Cup, with Australia beating Syria 3–2 to send themselves through to the knockout stage and eliminate the Syrians. Syria had never managed to beat their Southeast Asian counterpart in three past meetings.
Australia immediately tried to apply early pressure, but it was Syria that got the closest opportunity to score when from a long-range pass by Abdul Rahman Weiss, Ibrahim Hesar captured in Australia's penalty area and sent the ball to Pablo Sabbag, whose shot later hit the left post at the 5th minute. In the 17th minute, Jackson Irvine tried his luck with a header from a set-piece but it went wild as Australia increasingly became more dominant, but they failed to score. Syria, however, suddenly sped up in the final minutes of the first half but they could not convert it. At the second half, in the 59th minute, from Gethin Jones's pass, Martin Boyle made an effort to solo over Syrian defenders, but while his last pass ended up hitting Jalil Elías, it deflected wide enough for Irvine as he pierced the ball over Ahmad Madania to score the only goal of the match; despite Syrian fightback, notably a long-range firing from Moayad Ajan at the 68th minute that saw Mathew Ryan almost fail to hold, Australia went on to assert their domination at the later minutes but they could not score as the result was settled in favour for the Australians.
It was the third consecutive match in which Australia defeated Syria by a one-goal margin.
GK 22Ahmad Madania (c)RB 24Abdul Rahman WeissCB 2 Aiham OusouCB 13Thaer KroumaLB 3 Moayad AjanRM 25Mahmoud Al Aswad CM 18Jalil ElíasCM 4 Ezequiel HamLM 12Ammar RamadanCF 11Pablo Sabbag CF 21Ibrahim Hesar Substitutions:MF 17Fahd Youssef FW 7 Omar Khribin FW 20Antonio Yakoub Manager: Héctor Cúper GK 1 Mathew Ryan (c)RB 25Gethin JonesCB 19Harry SouttarCB 21Cameron BurgessLB 16Aziz BehichDM 13Aiden O'Neill CM 8 Connor Metcalfe CM 22Jackson IrvineRF 6 Martin Boyle CF 15Mitchell Duke LF 5 Jordan Bos Substitutions:MF 17Keanu Baccus FW 7 Samuel Silvera MF 14Riley McGree FW 9 Bruno Fornaroli FW 10Kusini Yengi Manager:Graham Arnold
Man of the Match: Jackson Irvine (Australia)
Assistant referees: Mohamed Al-Hammadi (United Arab Emirates) Hasan Al-Mahri (United Arab Emirates) Fourth official: Mooud Bonyadifard (Iran) Reserve assistant referee: Alireza Ildorom (Iran) Video assistant referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates) Assistant video assistant referees: Abdulla Al-Marri (Qatar)
India vs Uzbekistan Uzbekistan had never lost against India, with their most recent fixture being played 22 years ago as part of the 2001 Merdeka Tournament. In competitive fixtures, the last time they met was in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where Uzbekistan beat India 3–2.
Uzbekistan got off to an advantageous start at the fourth minute when in an offensive effort, Sherzod Nasrullaev provided a clinical high pass for Otabek Shukurov, whose header provided for Abbosbek Fayzullaev saw Fayzullaev score a goal. Uzbekistan improved at the 18th minute when a clumsy coordination by Indian defenders allowed Fayzullaev to pull a phase on India's right flank, which delivered a nearly lethal low pass that hit the foot of Akash Mishra. Although the ball hit the right post, Igor Sergeev was quick to sink the ball into the goal. Uzbekistan then completed the game in the first half when Jaloliddin Masharipov himself put a solo over the Indians from the midfield before sending wide; despite being cleared, it was intercepted by Oston Urunov, whose pass for Farrukh Sayfiev proved decisive as Sayfiev's high pass this time for Nasrullaev saw his shot initially hit the right post, but then deflect back to Nasrullaev, allowing him to score a goal and end the game with a 3-0 victory for Uzbekistan.
With this defeat, it marked the fourth consecutive match India could not score at the AFC Asian Cup, while in personal record, Srečko Katanec won his third competitive fixture, all in the AFC Asian Cup, after two previous wins over Vietnam and Yemen back in the 2019 edition.
GK 1 Gurpreet Singh SandhuRB 21Nikhil Poojary CB 5 Sandesh JhinganCB 2 Rahul BhekeLB 6 Akash MishraCM 8 Suresh Singh Wangjam CM 19Lalengmawia RalteRW 9 Manvir Singh AM 7 Anirudh Thapa LW 14Naorem Mahesh Singh CF 11Sunil Chhetri (c) Substitutions:FW 16Rahul K. P. MF 10Brandon Fernandes FW 26Ishan Pandita MF 25Deepak Tangri MF 15Udanta Singh Kumam Manager: Igor Štimac GK 1 Utkir YusupovRB 4 Farrukh SayfievCB 25Abdukodir KhusanovCB 15Umar EshmurodovLB 13Sherzod Nasrullaev DM 9 Odiljon Hamrobekov CM 7 Otabek ShukurovCM 22Abbosbek Fayzullaev RF 11Oston Urunov CF 21Igor SergeevLF 10Jaloliddin Masharipov (c) Substitutions:DF 26Zafarmurod Abdurakhmatov MF 19Azizbek Turgunboev MF 20Khojimat Erkinov MF 8 Jamshid Iskanderov MF 14Jamshid Boltaboev Manager: Srečko Katanec
Man of the Match: Otabek Shukurov (Uzbekistan)
Assistant referees: Zhou Fei (China) Zhang Cheng (China) Fourth official: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan) Reserve assistant referee: Mohammad Al-Kalaf (Jordan) Video assistant referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates) Assistant video assistant referees: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
Australia vs Uzbekistan This was the third time that these two teams met in this tournament with their recent fixture being in the round of 16 of the last edition of the Asian Cup, in which Australia beat Uzbekistan in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw to send the Australians into the last eight and eliminate the Uzbeks. Australia had never lost against Uzbekistan in all four previous encounters, which included a 6–0 victory when both nations met in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, held at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
Although Australia had confirmed their place at the knockout stage with a game to spare, they still opted to bring some veterans, notably Mathew Ryan and Harry Souttar, into the encounter. In the 41st minute, in a chaotic ball fight in Uzbekistan's defense area, Kusini Yengi made his effort to solo over before his ball touched the hand of Odiljon Hamrobekov; VAR later confirmed it as a penalty and Martin Boyle clinically scored to give Australia the lead at the first minute of extra time. However, as the Australians loosened their focus, an offensive by the Uzbeks saw Jaloliddin Masharipov send the ball wide enough for Azizbek Turgunboev to score a header in the 78th minute, as both teams were satisfied with a draw that secured their progression.
In personal record, Graham Arnold had not beaten Uzbekistan as a coach (D2). At the same time, Turgunboev's header meant it was the first time in five attempts that Uzbekistan managed to score against Australia. Interestingly, Australia had never collected nine points in all of their AFC Asian Cup participation. In personal record however, it was the first time Graham Arnold managed to lead his team to top the group stage table, having never done so back in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, 2019 AFC Asian Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup.