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Indian football team gets invited to CAFA Nations Cup; set to face Iran, Tajikistan
Indian football team has been invited to take part in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup. Image: PTI
The Indian football team will take part in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025 in August-September 2025, it was confirmed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday. The Blue Tigers, who are still searching for their next head coach, will take on teams like Tajikistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan in the eight-team tournament group stage.
It's a big step for the Indian football team, which is part of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). Playing in a CAFA tournament would allow them the opportunity to compete against much higher-ranked teams as compared to the SAFF Cup
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The CAFA Nations Cup 2025 will also serve as a preparatory tournament for India ahead of their upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifiers. The biennial CAFA Nations Cup will be held in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from 29 August to 8 September 2025.
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India's next Asian Cup qualifier is against Singapore on 9 October, with the reverse leg on 14 October. They face Bangladesh on 18 November and play their last match against Hong Kong on 31 March 2026. The Blue Tigers are currently at the bottom of the four-team group, having suffered a loss to Hong Kong and a draw against Bangladesh so far.
Only the winner from Group C, which includes India, will qualify for the Asian Cup.
India's matches in CAFA Nations Cup 2025
In the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, India have been drawn in Group B alongside Tajikistan, Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the play-off stage, which will see two matches being played on 8 September. The third-place match will be played between the two group runners-up in Dushanbe, while the two group winners will play the final in Tashkent.
Group A will be hosted by Uzbekistan, who are drawn alongside Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Oman in Tashkent.
CAFA has six members — Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kygryz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Oman and India are the two invited sides for the second edition of the CAFA Nations Cup. Iran are the defending champions, having beaten Uzbekistan 1-0 in the 2023 final.
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CAFA Nations Cup 2025 Draw
Group A: Uzbekistan (H), Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, Oman.
Group B: Tajikistan (H), IR Iran, Afghanistan, India.
India's match schedule:
August 29: Tajikistan vs India
September 1: India vs IR Iran
September 4: Afghanistan vs India
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