India faces Afghanistan on Thursday at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan with qualification for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 playoffs on the line.
The Blue Tigers have played two, won one, and lost one, against Tajikistan (2-1) and IR Iran (0-3), respectively, so far in the tournament. India is tied on three points with Tajikistan, and the former is ahead by virtue of a better head-to-head record. The top teams from each group will progress to the final, while the two second-placed teams will make it to the third-place match.
India head coach Khalid Jamil, however, is not thinking of such permutations and combinations ahead of this crucial tie. “We are not thinking of all such scenarios at this point. There is no point to it. We will go into the game looking for a win. It’s as simple as that.”
India (133rd in the FIFA rankings) holds the upper hand against Afghanistan (161st in the FIFA rankings) in the head-to-head record, having won 13 times, while Afghanistan has emerged victorious against India only on two occasions; seven matches between the two sides have ended in draws.
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The last match between India and Afghanistan, however, ended in a 1-2 defeat for the Blue Tigers in Guwahati, in the World Cup qualifiers, last year. India’s last win against Afghanistan came three years ago, a 2-1 victory in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata. Despite the history, Jamil is approaching the match with an air of caution.
“Afghanistan is a good side, so we cannot take it lightly. It has a chance, and it will definitely play hard against us,” he said. “Our last result was not up to the mark, so we need to respond likewise.
“We’ve had less time to recover, so we need to be at our best. Those who have not had much game time so far need to be ready, as we might need them to give their 100 per cent,” said Jamil.
India, however, will miss the services of centre-back Sandesh Jhingan, who, along with goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and defender Rahul Bheke, was named as one of the captains for the Blue Tigers. Jhingan was ruled out after sustaining an injury during India’s match against Iran.
Published on Sep 03, 2025
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com