‘I will not be surprised…’-Bhaichung Bhutia confident India will 'Stun' Australia in AFC Asian Cup

In the AFC Asian Cup, the Indian football team will play Australia. India hopes to leave its imprint on the competition with a strong team. In order to build India's chances against a formidable opponent like Australia, Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu would be essential. Both sides are hoping to grab an early lead in Group B, therefore the match, which takes place at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, is predicted to be tight. Fans are looking forward to an exciting match that will start on Saturday, January 13, 2024, when India enters the game.

3 things you need to know 

• India vs Australia, Group B will be played on Saturday
• Sunil Chhetri will lead the Indian Football Team 
• India is placed in a tough group but are anticipated to perform well 

Also Read: Blue Tigers' trials at top echelon begins with Australia battle

Bhaichung Bhutia backs Sunil Chhetri and co ahead of their match against Australia 

Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of India, has voiced his trust in Igor Stimac's squad and predicted a surprise victory over Australia in their forthcoming AFC Asian Cup group-stage match. The game is set to go on Saturday, January 13 at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar.

Group A of the competition contains India, Australia, Syria, and Uzbekistan. India, who are placed 102nd right now, is getting ready to play the 25th-ranked Socceroos in Qatar to start their campaign.

In an interview with PTI, Bhutia expressed that he wouldn't be shocked if India wins their match against Australia. Notably, India lost to Qatar 0–3 in a recent competitive international match that was part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Bhaichung Bhutia said: 

“You never know. I will not be surprised if India get a good result tomorrow, I mean we have the team to surprise them. You know, Australia is not the Australia of a decade ago. We also have made progress as a team,”

“Yes, it will be a tough match, but it is not an impossible task (to get a good result) for this side against them. First thing first, we need to tackle Australia. If we can get a good result against them, who knows,”

Also Read: Sunil Chhetri's last dance: AFC Asian Cup to be pivotal for the country

Bhutia made a huge statement about the Indian football team captain 

Bhaichung Bhutia complimented India skipper Sunil Chhetri as an amazing player on whom the squad can trust to find the back of the net. Chhetri has the unique honour of being India's all-time leading goal-scorer, with 93 goals in 143 games. He added: 

“Chhetri is a wonderful player. The need of the hour is to score goals and it is soothing to know that we have a dependable player in that department. Every team needs someone to get those crucial strikes. Hopefully, we can provide some good assists to him and I am sure there will be a couple of chances to find the back of the net,”

India will face Australia in the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup fixtures on Saturday, followed by matchups against Uzbekistan on January 18 and Syria on January 23.