Hisor Central Stadium, Tajikistan : The Indian men’s football team played a tightly contested match against Afghanistan in their final group stage game of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, ending in a goalless 0-0 draw. Despite creating several promising chances, including notable attempts by Ashique Kuruniyan and Jithin MS, India couldn’t find the breakthrough. Afghanistan held strong defensively and applied physical pressure, keeping the game locked scoreless. Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made crucial saves, including a sharp reaction to a corner that nearly conceded a goal, helping India secure a point.
This result meant India finished Group B with four points from three matches, following a 2-1 victory over Tajikistan and a 0-3 loss to tournament favorites Iran. With the draw, India currently hold second place in their group, and their fate to advance to the third-place playoff depends on the outcome of the Iran vs Tajikistan match. Even if Iran and Tajikistan draw, India should progress by virtue of a better head-to-head record against the hosts. Coach Khalid Jamil utilized counter-attacking tactics and made strategic substitutions at halftime, aiming to press Afghanistan aggressively in the second half, but the deadlock remained.
India’s campaign showed resilience and moments of attacking promise, though they were thwarted by stout Afghan defense and some missed opportunities. The Blue Tigers will now await the final group results to see if they advance for a chance to compete for a podium finish in the eight-team tournament. The disciplined display against Afghanistan underlines India’s growing competitiveness in the international football scene, though a clinical edge will be needed to convert chances into goals in future matches.
This 0-0 draw keeps India’s hopes alive in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup as they aim to finish strongly beyond the group stage.
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