Hisor [Tajikistan], September 3 : Qualification for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 Playoff Stage is on the line, as India take on Afghanistan in their last match of Group B at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on Thursday.
The Blue Tigers have played two, won one, and lost one, against Tajikistan (2-1) and Iran (0-3), respectively, so far in the CAFA Nations Cup. India are tied on three points with Tajikistan, and the former are 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, both to take place on September 8.
As things stand, the Blue Tigers need a win against Afghanistan, and hope that Tajikistan do not win against Iran, in order to progress. A draw against Afghanistan may also be enough for India, if the match between Iran and Tajikistan also ends in a draw or an Iranian victory. However, a defeat will result in elimination, as Tajikistan, in such a scenario, would have the better goal difference in the matches played between the three teams who would end up on three points each (Tajikistan, India and Afghanistan), according to All India Football Federation (AIFF) website.
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," Jamil said to the-aiff.com.
"We will go into the game looking for a win. It's as simple as that," he added.
India's victory against hosts Tajikistan in their first match of the tournament was their first competitive win since November 2023. While the 0-3 defeat against Iran may look otherwise on paper, the Blue Tigers are maintaining a positive outlook.
"We are all sad that we played so well in the first half, and then things did not click for us in the second. I'll be the first one to accept that I made a mistake with the substitution at that point, and they managed to score after it," said Jamil.
"But this is as much of a learning curve for the players as it is for the coach. We will take the learnings in our stride and move on," he noted.
"I must commend my players for doing everything I asked of them. They showed great attitude against a team that was of a much higher quality. At the end, I think the scoreline was not fair. We did not deserve to lose 0-3," he added.
India (133rd in the FIFA rankings) hold the upper hand against Afghanistan (161st in the FIFA rankings) in the head-to-head records, having won 13 times, while Afghanistan have emerged victorious against India only on two occasions; seven matches between the two sides have ended in draws.
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 are a good side, so we cannot take them lightly. They have a chance, and they will definitely play hard against us," he said.
"Our last result was not up to the mark, so we need to respond likewise," he noted.
"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 the triumvirate of captains for the Blue Tigers.
"I've never seen a player as brave as Sandesh. Even with the injury, he kept playing in the last match. Not many players can do that," said Jamil.
"We will definitely miss his presence. He's a great motivator on and off the pitch for the others. It's difficult to find a replacement for him, but this also allows the others to step up," he added.
Defender Rahul Bheke is relishing the experience of playing against quality Central Asian opponents as part of India's preparations for the two Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore next month.
"Right from the first day of the camp, the new faces have been proving themselves, and it's been a good experience for us all in the CAFA Nations Cup, so far," Bheke said on the eve of the Afghanistan match.
"I think everyone knows how important it is to be here with the national team, and how crucial it is for us to perform in a tournament like this," he noted.
"I think the boys have shown how much we've improved. Now the ream test is in front of us, in the form of the third game. I think we have to do much better and get a positive result from here," said Bheke.
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