AFC Asian Cup 2023, India's Rival Watch: Syria, mountain to move for Blue Tigers

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India are sitting at the bottom of their Group B table with 0 points from 2 games. They put up an admirable fight against Australia in their first AFC Asian Cup 2023 match. However, their performance against Uzbekistan in their second match left a lot to be desired.

If there remains any chance of the Blue Tigers qualifying for the knockout stages, they will need to win at any cost in their last match against Syria. However, Syria are just as strong as the other teams and are capable of defeating India.

Goalkeepers and defense

Syria have proven themselves to be strong in defense in terms of skills and physicality. They also have a few world-class players in their backline. Their centre-back Aiham Ousou is currently playing well for the Swedish first-tier club BK Hacken on loan from Slavia Prague.

It has been surprising to see Ahmed Madanieh under the bar instead of their regular starter and captain Ibrahim Alma. They also have more options in Taha Mosa who is a veteran and 18-year-old Maksim Sarraf who is playing for CSKA Moscow.

Midfield

The Syria football team's midfield comprises a number of world-class players. They have been able to help well with the defense. Their assistance in their offensive endeavours has not been that impressive in their 2 AFC Asian Cup 2023 matches.

They have three players - Ezequiel Ham, Jalil Elias, and Ibrahim Hesar - all play in Argentina in their first-tier league. They have two more excellent players - Elmar Abraham who plays in Sweden and Fahd Youssef who plays in Iraq.

Attack

The Syrian attack has not been as effective as their defense in their first 2 AFC Asian Cup 2023 games. However, they still have some amazing players with attacking prowess that can cause problems for the Indian defenders.

Players, like Ammar Ramadan and Pablo Sabbag featured in both of their last 2 matches. Sabbag plays for the Peruvian first-tier club Alianza Lima and Ramadan plays for the Slovakian first-tier club Dunajska Streda.