Who has won the most fouls in Group B of AFC Asian Cup 2023?

The player is unexpectly of from one of the bottom-placed sides in the group.

Although the Indian men’s football team garnered praises for their resilience against Australia, despite a 0-2 defeat, a 0-3 loss against Uzbekistan in their second AFC Asian Cup 2023 match has thrown a spanner in the works of Igor Stimac and his players.

In their latest game against the Uzbeks, the Blue Tigers conceded three goals in the first half to embarrassingly lose the game 0-3. The upcoming clash against Syria is not just a matter of pride, it’s a ‘do-or-die’ scenario that will decide the fate of the Blue Tigers in the prestigious tournament.

The recent fixture between these two teams was held way back in 2019 during the Intercontinental Cup, a game which ended 1-1. Syria managed to defeat India on just two occasions, whilst India hasn’t lost against Syria in 15 years. However, this is just the first time Syria and India face each other in the AFC Asian Cup.

India still have a chance to qualify for the Round of 16 on the last matchday of Group B. They will have to win, preferably with a high goal-margin, which will eliminate Syria. Their fate will then depend on the performance of the third-placed teams from other groups.

Defensive midfielder, Suresh Singh Wangjam, who has so far featured in both the Group B matches for India at the ongoing 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar has performed very well. Coach Igor Stimac also praised him in the press conference after the Uzbekistan game. Even though the results did not favour the Blue Tigers, Suresh’s performance in the past two matches was excellent. His presence in the midfield brings up a different quality and physicality to the game.

Suresh’s Stats

Suresh Singh Wangjam has won seven fouls in the ongoing AFC Asian Cup, the highest by any player from Group B at the end of Matchday 2 and joint fifth highest overall. The group of death in which there are many top-quality players, the fact that he is at the top in this list shows his quality on the pitch. This shows how important he is for the team’s midfield and defensive stability. Not only is he good in winning tackles but he is also good at earning clever fouls.

In a recent interaction, he said “The pace of the game against teams like Australia and Uzbekistan was very high. Even the training pitches are so different from the ones back home. The ball moves so swiftly, it’s definitely a big learning experience for me. Both the games were so different from each other, but the common factor is that they were both very fast. You don’t get much time on the ball. You have to prepare for your next action even before you receive it.”

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