The first round of matches in Group B of the AFC Asian Cup will conclude with Uzbekistan taking on Syria at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan on Saturday.

In addition to these two sides, Group B also features Australia, who are heavily fancied to top the group, and India, who are the ranked underdogs heading into the first round of matches.

Match preview

© Reuters

With a steadily improving squad and a seasoned head coach in the dugout, Uzbekistan are being tipped to emerge as a dark horse in the Asian Cup and could pose the biggest threat to the Socceroos for the top spot in the group.

In their debut at the 1996 Asian Cup, the White Wolves secured a victory against China in their opening match but were unable to follow up in their subsequent games and were beaten by Japan and their opponents in this match.

Nevertheless, despite their poor initial performance, Uzbekistan have solidified their presence as a consistent participant in the Asian Cup, having qualified for every edition of the competition since then.

In addition, between 2004 and 2019, the Turanians not only competed in the tournament but also achieved an impressive feat by reaching the knockout rounds in each of the five continental competitions during that time.

Uzbekistan's most notable performance in the Asian Cup was in 2011 when they reached the semi-final and finished fourth after losing to Australia, yet their success at the continental level has not translated to World Cup qualification, as they have been unsuccessful in all eight attempts.

Srecko Katanec's side enter this competition with solid momentum following an impressive qualifying performance, which included winning all three matches against Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. They are also unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions, with five wins and just one draw.

© Reuters

Meanwhile, Syria are widely seen as the most likely to compete with Australia and Uzbekistan for the top two places in this group, but even if they are unable to do so, a place in the knockout round is by no means out of their reach with the four best third-placed sides from across the six groups also gaining qualification.

The 2019 Asian Cup proved challenging for Syria as they faced a draw with Palestine and a defeat to Jordan in their first two matches, leading to the dismissal of veteran German coach Bernd Stange. That decision saw Fajr Ibrahim brought in midway through the tournament for his fourth stint as the head coach of the national side.

In February 2023, Syria enlisted the expertise of head coach Hector Cuper, a distinguished Argentine figure known for his managerial roles at top European clubs such as Inter Milan, Valencia and Parma in the early 2000s.

Under Cuper's leadership, the Qasioun Eagles have played nine matches and have posted a record of three victories, two draws and four losses, with those three wins coming against Malaysia, Thailand and China.

During the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Syria competed against Japan and North Korea and secured a 1-0 win over the North Koreans but suffered a lopsided 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Japanese.

Team News

© Reuters

Uzbekistan's skipper and Cagliari attacker Eldor Shomurodov will miss this match for his country due to a leg injury he sustained late last year, and his participation in this tournament is in doubt.

Among the players to watch for the White Wolves are Jaloliddin Masharipov, who plays for Panserraikos in Greece and 19-year-old Lens player Abdukodir Khusanov.

Attacking midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev is the current Uzbekistan Football Association's player of the year and is having a very good club season with Russian outfit CSKA Moscow.

As part of their efforts to improve their side, Syria have recently recruited eligible players of Syrian descent, including the likes of BK Hacken's Aiham Ousou and former Newell's Old Boys midfielder Jalil Elias.

However, veteran Al Hilal forward Omar Khribin, who made his debut for the national team in 2015, is expected to be the team's talisman here in Qatar, and their success in this competition will depend heavily on big contributions from their towering frontman.

Uzbekistan possible starting lineup:
Yusupov; Sayfiev, Alijonov, Ashurmatov, Nasrullaev; Shukurov, Hamrobekov, Masharipov, Fayzullaev; Urunov, Sergeyev

Syria possible starting lineup:
Alma; Ajan, Midani, Jenyat, Krouma; Youssef, Anez, Al Marmour, Abraham, Hesar; Khribin

We say: Uzbekistan 1-0 Syria

Uzbekistan come into this competition carrying excellent momentum and will know that they need to be on their game right from the outset, as this match could decide which of these sides will join Australia in the knockout stages via automatic qualification. We are expecting a close contest but fancy The White Wolves to clinch an opening match victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Devesh Jaganath

Previews by email