Bhaichung Bhutia Backs India to ‘Surprise’ Australia in Group-Stage Clash

Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has expressed confidence in Igor Stimac‘s team to pull off a surprise victory against Australia in their upcoming group-stage match at the AFC Asian Cup. The much-anticipated clash is set to take place at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on Saturday, January 13. India has been drawn in Group A alongside Australia, Syria, and Uzbekistan.

Ranked 102 in the FIFA rankings, India will kick start their campaign against the 25th ranked Australia. Despite being the underdogs, Bhutia believes that India has the potential to surprise their opponents. He mentioned that Australia is not the dominant force they once were, and India has been steadily making progress as a team.

Reflecting on India’s previous competitive international game, where they suffered a 0-3 defeat against Qatar in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Bhutia expressed optimism about tomorrow’s match. He believes that the Indian team, led by the exceptional Sunil Chhetri, has the ability to score goals and turn the tide in their favor.

Sunil Chhetri, India’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 93 goals in 143 appearances, is lauded by Bhutia as a wonderful player who can be relied upon to find the back of the net. With the team’s combined efforts and Chhetri’s prowess, Bhutia remains hopeful of a positive result against Australia.