India face Tajikistan in CAFA Nations Cup opener

India begin their first-ever CAFA Nations Cup against hosts Tajikistan on Friday in Hisor. Coach Khalid Jamil urges positivity, while goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari says the squad is ready after a strong Bengaluru camp

Hyderabad: The senior Indian men’s national football team will begin their first-ever CAFA Nations Cup 2025 campaign against hosts Tajikistan at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, on Friday, August 29. The match will be streamed live on FanCode.

India have been placed in Group B and will next play IR Iran (September 1) and Afghanistan (September 4). Group A features hosts Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Oman. The group winners will contest the final, while the second-placed teams will play for third place on September 8.

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India head coach Khalid Jamil expressed satisfaction with the team’s 10-day preparatory camp in Bengaluru. “We had a good preparation for the CAFA Nations Cup. Every player worked hard before coming here. It is a pleasure for us to participate in this tournament,” he said.

India and Tajikistan have met five times before, with the latter winning three. India’s only victory came in the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 final, when the Blue Tigers stunned the Persian Lions 4-1.

That, however, was 18 years ago, and Tajikistan (106th in the FIFA Rankings) are now a much stronger side. India, ranked 133rd, are aware of the challenge.

“Yes, we know about them (Tajikistan). They are a strong side and have done well recently. But we must focus on our own game and be mentally prepared,” Jamil said. “It is important for us to play as a unit and keep improving every match. The process will take time. We want to focus on both the juniors and seniors to build a strong team for future matches.”

Jamil emphasised the need for a positive approach. “We must think fresh, we must think positive. Yes, this is an away game against a good team, but we have to prepare accordingly and think only of one thing – a positive result. All the players must take responsibility. I feel that we are ready to accept this challenge.”

Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari echoed the sentiment at the pre-match press conference. “We have trained hard over the last few weeks, and our camp in Bengaluru gave us an intense 10 days to get ready. I am sure everyone is excited to play this tournament and ready to give their best,” he said.