Syria coach Hector Cuper speaks to his team.
Doha, Qatar: Syria head coach Hector Cuper has denied he will take a defensive approach into his team’s Group B clash with Australia today as the west Asians look to pick up their first win of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.
The Argentinian’s team were held to a 0-0 draw by Uzbekistan in their opening game on Saturday having failed to register a single shot on target at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium against Cuper’s former employers.
But while the meeting with Graham Arnold’s side represents another demanding test for the Qasioun Eagles, Cuper stressed he will not be setting up his team to look for another point.
“I’ve never seen a coach play a match to draw, in any match we play to win,” said the former Valencia, Inter Milan and Uzbekistan coach. “That’s the aim in football. “Some might say the Australia team is stronger, but that’s on paper and on the pitch anything is possible. This is what I’m telling my players, this is what we prepare for.
“Tactically, spiritually, morally, we are training to overcome any mistakes from our opponent. We will fight and try our best to secure the three points ahead of the Australian team.”
The Syrians are still looking for their first win at the AFC Asian Cup since 2011, with the nation going through the tournaments in Australia in 2015 and the United Arab Emirates four years later without registering a victory. The country finished bottom of their group in 2019 with one draw from their three games but Cuper was keen to move on from the disappointment of a campaign that started with Bernd Stange in charge, only for the German to be fired after two games.
“That’s in the past, that’s history,” said Cuper. “We have new hopes and aspirations and players and this match will be critical. We are history makers, we need to play well to qualify.
Australia players gear up for the match against Syria.
“We know we’re playing a strong team, no one can deny that. They are 24th in the world and we are in the 90s, but on the pitch anything is possible. I have 26 players who are willing, who have the spirit and will sacrifice and make the county proud.
“We will work hard and we hope the match will be in our favour.”
Arnold, meanwhile, declared he has a full squad available after leading the 2015 champions to a 2-0 win over India in their opening Group B match at the weekend.
“We looked at Syria in World Cup qualifying and the friendly against China,” he said. “We watched them against Uzbekistan and Japan, when they lost 5-0. We know everything about the Syrian players and team. We’ve done our homework. We’re expecting a physical game and we’ll be ready for it.
“We’ve watched Syria and we know they’ve got some strengths, but it’s about us tidying up the things that didn’t work against India and making sure we’re ready mentally for the game.
“I can’t control too much what Syria do, but I can with us and it’s important we get that right.” AFC
Group B - Syria vs Australia
Advantage Socceroos: Australia are unbeaten against Syria in men’s internationals (W2 D1) including a 3-2 win at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019; though, neither team has kept a clean sheet in the history of this fixture.
In need of victory: Syria are winless in their last six AFC Asian Cup games (D2 L4) – including two goalless draws – which is their longest winless run in the tournament; though, Syria are the only team to have scored multiple goals in a game against Australia at the AFC Asian Cup since the end of the 2007 tournament (L 2-3 on 15/01/2019).
Perfect run: Australia have won their last four men’s internationals in succession and outscored their opposition by a combined score of 12-0 across that term; the last time they kept more than four clean sheets was a five-game stretch from September 2008 to February 2009.
