Football: Goalless draw against Afghanistan enough to earn India spot in third-place playoff at CAFA Nations Cup 2025
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
India set to face Oman in CAFA Nations Cup final four
India brought an end to their group stage campaign at the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup on Thursday night at the Hisor Central Stadium, where they played to a gruelling goalless draw against Afghanistan.
What has been evident about the Blue Tigers in this competition is that new boss Khalid Jamil has instilled a sense of calm and confidence in the team’s defence, and that was in full display when they faced the Lions of Khorasan.
India carved out the clearer chances in the first half, but Ashique Kuruniyan failed to seize on a mistake in the opposing box, while Jithin MS skied a very presentable opportunity from a long throw over the crossbar.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who stepped in for the absent Vishal Kaith, also played a starring role for the team, pulling off several important saves, most notably, a stunner onto the upright off a stinging Yama Sherzad drive.
While both India and Tajikistan ended with four points apiece in Group B, it was the Blue Tigers that advanced to the third-place matchup owing to their superior head-to-head record against the tournament’s co-hosts.
India make positive start to Khalid Jamil’s tenure
At a time when Indian football has been facing several major challenges, including the possible end of the Indian Super League and the national team dropping to their lowest FIFA Ranking in years, Khalid Jamil has now given Indian fans a reason to smile again.
The new national team head coach was brought in to replace Manolo Marquez last month, and he was tasked with bringing some positivity back to the camp ahead of their crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore.
The CAFA Nations Cup was Jamil’s first assignment in his new role, and the former Jamshedpur boss did no favours, having received major backlash over his appointment, with many suggesting that an international manager was needed to revive the team.
Adding to the task for the 48-year-old was the decision of Mohun Bagan to not allow their players to join the squad for the CAFA Nations Cup in an effort to avoid player injuries ahead of their AFC Champions League Two qualifiers.
Jamil was therefore forced to select a suboptimal side for the tournament, which makes their qualification to the last four all the more impressive, while also restoring some hope for the future of the Indian national team.
