India Vs Afghanistan Preview, CAFA Nations Cup 2025: Khalid Jamil’s Men Target Win To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

India's Men's National Football Team, the 'Blue Tigers', will battle a tricky Afghanistan in their final CAFA Nations Cup 2025 group match on Thursday, September 4, in Hisor, Tajikistan. They seek revenge for an embarrassing 1-2 loss to Afghanistan in Guwahati in March 2024 during a FIFA World Cup qualifying match, when India played under Igor Stimac.

Head coach Khalid Jamil aims for a victory, essential for India's CAFA Nations Cup final qualification prospects. A win is crucial for India against Afghanistan. This marks the first time India are playing against Afghanistan in a major regional tournament outside World Cup qualifiers.

CAFA Nations Cup Group B: Qualification Scenarios For India

India currently holds three points in Group B. The team secured a 2-1 victory over co-hosts Tajikistan in their first match, a result marking India's first competitive win since November 2023. India then suffered a 0-3 defeat against Iran. The Blue Tigers sit level on points with Tajikistan, but boast a better head-to-head record against them.

The top team from each group progresses to the final, while the two second-placed teams will compete for third place on September 8. India need to win against Afghanistan to advance and hope Tajikistan does not emerge victorious against Iran in Thursday's second game.

A draw against Afghanistan might also suffice for India to finish in the top two in Group B, if Iran either win or draw against Tajikistan. However, a defeat against Afghanistan would eliminate India, as Tajikistan would then hold a better goal difference in any three-way tie scenario involving Tajikistan, India, and Afghanistan, all ending on three points each.

Iran are currently top of Group B with six points and a perfect record, and are expected to go through to the next stage.

Coach Khalid Jamil's Pragmatic Approach

India head coach Khalid Jamil is not focusing on complex calculations before this decisive fixture. “We are not thinking of all such scenarios at this point,” Jamil stated. “There is no point to it. We will go into the game looking for a win. It’s as simple as that.”

Reflecting on the challenging 0-3 loss to Iran, Jamil expressed his thoughts: “We are all sad that we played so well in the first half, and then things did not click for us in the second.” He candidly admitted an error, adding, “I’ll be the first one to accept that I made a mistake with the substitution at that point, and they managed to score after it.”

Jamil views the experience as a learning opportunity: “But this is as much of a learning curve for the players as it is for the coach. We will learn from it and improve.” He wholeheartedly commended his squad’s performance against a formidable opponent.

“I must commend my players for doing everything I asked of them. They displayed strong resolve against a team that was of a much higher quality. At the end, I think the scoreline was not fair. We did not deserve to lose 0-3,” he concluded.

India Vs Afghanistan: Head-To-Head Records

India, ranked 133rd in FIFA, holds a historical advantage over Afghanistan, ranked 161st, in head-to-head records. India has won 13 matches against Afghanistan; Afghanistan has defeated India twice, with seven matches ending in draws.

India’s last victory against Afghanistan came three years ago, a 2-1 win during the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata. Despite this history, Jamil approaches the match cautiously.

“Afghanistan are a good side, so we cannot take them lightly,” Jamil warned. “They have a chance, and they will definitely play hard against us. Our last result was disappointing, so we must respond strongly.” Recovery time is minimal. “We’ve had less time to recover, so we must be at our peak,” he noted.

He also stressed the importance of squad depth. “Those who have not had much game time so far must be ready, as we may need their full effort.” India will be without centre-back Sandesh Jhingan, who sustained an injury during the match against Iran.

Jamil praised Jhingan’s bravery: “I’ve never seen a player as brave as Sandesh. Even with the injury, he kept playing in the last match. Not many players can do that.” Jhingan’s absence is significant. “We will definitely miss his presence. He’s a great motivator on and off the pitch for the others. His replacement is challenging, but this allows others to step up.”

(With PTI Inputs)