Afghanistan Vs Tajikistan Highlights, CAFA Nations Cup: AFG 0-2 TJK; Mabatshoev Caps Off Hosts' Win

Good evening and welcome to everyone joining us for some Asian football action. Afghanistan face home team Tajikistan in group B of the CAFA Nations Cup, and we will bring to you the build-up and live updates from the match.

The match kicks off at 9:30pm IST. The Afghanistan Vs Tajikistan, CAFA Nations Cup group B match will not be live streamed on any platform in India. It will not be telecast on any TV channel in the country.

A defiant India fought hard for the most part but let in two goals in the last seven minutes to eventually lose 0-3 to defending champions Iran in their second group match. The Indian defence largely remained compact and thwarted waves of Iranian attack but failed to stop strikes from Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (60th minute), Ali Alipourghara (89th) and Mehdi Taremi (90+6) to lose the match.

The match gets underway in Hisor. Tajikistan are the favourites to win this game, but the spirited Afghanistan cannot be discounted.

Tajikistan go ahead against Afghanistan in the 23rd minute. Ekhson Pandzhshanbe converts a penalty to give the hosts the lead in the middle of the first half. Can the tourists respond? We'll find out soon.

The first half ends with Tajikistan holding a slender one-goal lead, courtesy Ekhson Pandzhshanbe's 23rd-minute penalty. Afghanistan are not out of this by any means, and they would take inspiration from the fact that they had scored against the mighty Iran in their previous encounter.

The lemon break ends and play resumes. Afghanistan need an equaliser in the second half to make things interesting, while a goalless period would do nicely for Tajikistan.

The match is into its 81st minute and Tajikistan are holding on to their one-goal lead so far. Afghanistan need to come up with something special to salvage any points from here, or they would risk being eliminated from the competition.

Shervoni Mabatshoev nets in the third minute of stoppage time to make it a definitive 2-0 in favour of Tajikistan. And that's where the scoreline stays at the end of full time, with Afghanistan now virtually out of reckoning with back-to-back defeats in the tournament.