India’s hopes of reaching the CAFA Nations Cup final took a hit as the Blue Tigers fell to a 0-3 defeat against Asian giants Iran at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan on Monday. The result marked Khalid Jamil’s first loss since taking over as head coach and leaves India needing a strong finish in their final group game to secure a third-place playoff.
Coming off a 2-1 win over hosts Tajikistan on Friday, India made two changes to its starting eleven, with Danish Farooq and Nikhil Prabhu replacing Lallianzuala Chhangte and Jeakson Singh. Despite the changes, the Indian side held firm against the world No. 20 for nearly an hour, showing determination and structure in defense.
However, Iran finally broke through in the 59th minute. A low cross into the Indian box created chaos, and Amirhossen Hosseinzadeh capitalized on the defensive lapse, bundling the ball home past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Chasing an equalizer, India opened up in the final stages of the match, only to be punished by Iran’s clinical finishing. Ali Alipour doubled the lead before Mehdi Taremi added a third in the dying moments, sealing a convincing victory for Iran and securing their place in the tournament final.
India, meanwhile, remains second in Group B with three points but now holds a goal difference of -2. A win against Afghanistan in their final group match on Thursday is crucial for a chance to play in the third-place playoff.
“Despite the scoreline, there were positives in the first hour. We held a strong team like Iran and created some chances of our own. We now have to regroup quickly for the next match,” Jamil said after the game.
India’s lineup against Iran featured captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in goal, supported by a backline of Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, and Nikhil Prabhu. The midfield was marshaled by Suresh Singh Wangjam and Danish Farooq, with attacking contributions from Ashique Kuruniyan, Vikram Partap Singh, and Irfan Yadwad. Substitutions included Jeakson Singh, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Manvir Singh Jr, Chinglensana Singh, Jithin MS, and Chhangte.
With one match left in the group stage, the Blue Tigers must bounce back quickly to keep their campaign alive in Tajikistan.
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