India make it to CAFA Nations Cup playoffs after stalemate against Afghanistan

HISOR(Tajikistan): India qualified for the third-place playoff match after being held to a stalemate by Afghanistan in their last Group B encounter in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on Thursday.

The Blue Tigers had to wait for the second match of the day between Iran and Tajikistan, which ended in a 2-2 draw, to learn their fate.

Khalid Jamil’s men finished the group in second place with four points (a win, a loss, and a draw), while Iran topped Group B with seven points from three matches each. Hosts Tajikistan, on four points, and Afghanistan, on one point, were knocked out of the tournament. India finished ahead of Tajikistan by virtue of a better head-to-head record after beating them 2-1 in the first match. The Blue Tigers will now play the third-place match at the same venue on September 8, as per a press release from AIFF.

They will face the team that finished second in Group A. As it stands, Oman and Uzbekistan are locked on four points apiece, occupying the top two spots in the group; both have the same goal difference (+1), and have scored the same number of goals in their two matches (3). Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic are third and fourth, respectively, with a point apiece. Oman plays Turkmenistan, while Uzbekistan face the Kyrgyz Republic on the last matchday of Group A, on Friday, September 5; both matches will be played in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Afghanistan started the game on the front foot, though India created more clear-cut chances in the opening exchanges on the counter. A little after the quarter-hour mark, Ashique Kuruniyan managed to break through behind on the left and cut it back for Irfan Yadwad, who missed his shot.

India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was called into action in the 24th minute, when he made a smart save off a long shot by Ali Reza Panahi. Minutes later, Yadwad was played through into the Afghanistan box, but his eventual shot went wide of the far post.

Ashique managed to close down Afghanistan centre-back Mahboob Hanifi in the 34th minute, and stole the ball inside the box, and only had goalkeeper Faisal Ahmad Hamidi to beat, but the latter smothered the ball. The India winger received a booking for colliding with Hamidi in his efforts to get to the ball.

Jithin MS, who got his first start in India colours, tip-toed around his marker on the right and squared it to Ashique, minutes before the half-time interval, but the latter’s shot from the edge of the area was blocked. Jithin had another chance in the first half injury time, when he got onto a clearance at the edge of the Afghanistan box and fired it on the half turn, sending the ball agonisingly over the woodwork.

India gained more control of the game after the change of ends, head coach Khalid Jamil opting to introduce Manvir Singh (Jr) and Vikram Partap Singh into the fray, the AIFF press release added.

The first real chance of the half came around the hour mark, when Nikhil Prabhu, with the outside of his boot, threaded a through ball to a chasing Jithin, but it was just out of the latter’s reach.

Jithin had another chance after Uvais’ long throw found Jithin at the far post, but his shot went over in the 66th minute.

Afghanistan had arguably the best chance of the game in the 71st minute, when Hossein Zamani cut one back from the right to Yama Sherzad, whose shot was tipped onto the cross-bar by Sandhu.

The Lions of Khorasan began to gain more momentum towards the end of the match, but the Blue Tigers’ defence held on to earn the draw and qualify for the playoffs. (ANI)