Rival Watch: India's second AFC Asian Cup 2023 opponents Uzbekistan

Both India and Uzbekistan failed to register a win in their respective AFC Asian Cup 2023 openers.

India will be aiming to bounce back from their disappointing start to the AFC Asian Cup 2023 when they face off against an intimidating Uzbekistan side in their second game on Thursday (18 January). Despite their loss to Australia, the Blue Tigers still have lots to play and will hope to make a strong comeback against Uzbekistan.

The White Wolves had a frustrating start to the AFC Asian Cup and were held to a goalless draw by Syria, which means they’ve already fallen away from the top of the group. They will fight hard to get their first win of the tournament against India and here is everything you need to know about the Central Asian heavyweights before this clash.

About the Team

Uzbekistan was actually a part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and it took until 1994 before the national team became a part of AFC. They have since qualified for every single AFC Asian Cup edition from 1996 and their best-ever finish in an AFC Asian Cup was in 2011, when they reached the semi-finals and achieved a fourth-place finish.

The White Wolves have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup edition and their only major silverware was when they won the gold medal in the 1994 Asian Games. With that being said, Uzbekistan have gained traction as one of Asian football’s rising powerhouses and are ranked at 68 in the current FIFA rankings.

Recent Performances

The Turanians were not able to begin the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in the way they wanted, being held to a 0-0 draw by a resilient Syria side. They are currently on an eight-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and have won five of their last seven games ahead of the AFC Asian Cup.

That includes compelling wins over teams like China, Turkmenistan and Palestine – setting them up rather nicely for the tournament. Uzbekistan have faced India six times in the past and will eyeing a win in their seventh meeting on Thursday.

The Coach

Srecko Katanec is managing the White Wolves in their first major competition after taking over as their head coach in August 2021. The 60-year-old, who had a decorated playing career and was even a part of Sampdoria’s 1990-91 Serie A title-winning team, has managed multiple national teams like Slovenia, North Macedonia, UAE and Iraq.

Katanec has achieved decent success as Uzbekistan’s manager so far, winning 18 of the 29 matches that he has been in charge of, with a 62.1% win rate.

The 60-year-old mostly tends to go with a three-man backline for the White Wolves, who often tend to play a 3-4-3 formation under him. They have scored 59 goals in 29 matches under his tutelage, aiming to cause chaos through the wide areas and using quick passes to trouble the opponents.

Players to Watch

Jaloliddin Masharipov

The 30-year-old winger is a driving force for the White Wolves’ attack and tends to get really active into helping them cause trouble in the opposition area. Masharipov has made 56 appearances for Uzbekistan, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists. He was one of their bright sparks against Syria, creating a few genuine chances and winning a lot of duels.

The proactive forward can cause a lot of trouble with his clever movement and slick final delivery. Moreover, he also has a keen eye for goal. He’ll look to get his AFC Asian Cup campaign started off properly by dissecting the Indian backline and providing the goods for his side.

Oston Urunov

Urunov is one of Uzbekistan’s brightest young players who has performed pretty well under the current mentor and knows how to impress in Asia’s biggest stage. The 23-year-old had five goal contributions in the AFC Champions League this season before being released by Navbahor just before the AFC Asian Cup.

That means this competition is his biggest ticket to impress another major club to sign him. Urunov, who has five goals for the White Wolves so far, can play almost anywhere across the frontline and has started leading the line for his side as of late. His deft finishing ability, link-up style and slithering runs can make him a tough customer for any defender.

Otabek Shukurov

The Uzbekistan #7 has tons of experience in his bag, having made over 60 appearances for the Turanians is his career and establishing himself as their midfield general. Shukurov excels at helping them with transitioning and moving the ball around the pitch efficiently.

Despite playing in a deeper role, he loves to make a move into advanced areas in an attempt to create chances or blast shots onto the goal. He has that unpredictable spark to his playing style and plays a key role in helping Uzbekistan dominate possession, which he’ll aim to replicate and frustrate India in the upcoming clash.

What to Expect

Uzbekistan dominated 66% of the ball possession in the draw against Syria and a similar case can be expected against the Blue Tigers. They were probably embarrassed to be held in their first game, so the players will probably play with a fire in their bellies and a stronger desire to come back from this fixture with a big win.

The White Wolves are going to go with an attack-first stance, but their three-man backline means that scoring on the counter-attacks against them is tough too. They are expected to maintain a compact shape and will try to trouble India by moving through the wide areas and ousting them with innovative attacks.

Igor Stimac’s side needs to have a much more rigid shape and cover the areas well to frustrate the Uzbekistan side. If unable to do so, then Uzbekistan will not be shy of running riot over them and getting a major win.

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