Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei is banking on his squad’s well-honed fitness and attacking prowess to seal a victory over dark horse Uzbekistan in their opening Asian Cup match Wednesday.

Ghalenoei acknowledged Iran were the favorites in Group C, but he noted the tournament has seen some surprising results so far, including powerhouses Australia and Japan being held to 1-1 draws by Oman and Qatar respectively.

"Everybody expects us to be the champion" in Group C, Ghalenoei told a news conference Tuesday. "But no team can be (underestimated), as we can see from the results that have happened these past few days."

Uzbekistan coach Rauf Inileyev said the Central Asians want to win, but would settle for tie.

"A draw with Iran will be a very good result for any team," Inileyev said. "I don’t know whether we’re lucky or unlucky to be playing Iran in the opener. Uzbekistan may not be on the same level with Iran, but we are still one of the top teams."

Iran’s Ghalenoei said he emphasized physical fitness training and other tactical planning to help his side overcome obstacles posed by the humid weather in Malaysia. Iran — which has won the Asian Cup three times, but not since 1976 — will be playing against Uzbekistan, China and their hosts at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

"We have adapted to the conditions," Ghalenoei said. "We will surely have an attacking style."

Iran midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia said Iran was stronger compared to last year, when they struggled at the World Cup in Germany amid injuries and lack of preparation. He said the team has youngsters and experienced players who have trained hard and are fully fit.

"If we can win the first match, then we can think about (advancing into) the next stage," Mahdavikia said.

Uzbek midfielder Aziz Haydarov said his side will try to counter Iran’s ability to capitalize on free kicks and corner kicks.

"If we can build our game in a proper way, we can have success," Haydarov said. "We’ll play our best to cheer up our fans."