Thiruvananthapuram: Today marks the beginning of Bharat’s journey in the AFC Asia Cup 2024, and their opponent is Australia. The match, scheduled for 5 p.m. today, will take place at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar. In a press conference held yesterday, Captain Sunil Chhetri and Coach Igor Stimac expressed their confidence in staying unbeaten against Australia.
Coach Igor Stimac is expected to deploy Bharat’s players in formations of 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. The attacking lineup includes Lallianzuala Chhangte and Naorem Mahesh Singh, alongside skipper Sunil Chhetri. Anirudh Thapa, stepping in for the injured Jeakson Singh and Keralite Sahal Abdul Samad, will lead the central midfield line. Lalengmawia Ralte, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Ishan Pandita, and Keralite star KP Rahul add depth to the attacking front. Brandon Fernandes will lead the midfield, while Sandesh Jhingan will lead the defence. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will take on the role of goalkeeper in today’s match.
Based on the most recent FIFA rankings, Bharat is currently positioned in 105th place. This follows their triumphant performance in the SAFF Championship tournament. Meanwhile, Australia holds the 25th position in the global rankings.
Notably, today’s fixture makes history by featuring a female referee for the first time in an Asia Cup football tournament. Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita will take charge as referee in the Bharat-Australia match. The match will be broadcast live on the Sports 18 channel, offering fans the opportunity to witness this exciting clash.
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