India eye victory against Afghanistan in push for CAFA Nations Cup play-offs

The Blue Tigers have so far won one match (2-1 against Tajikistan) and lost one (0-3 against Iran). They are tied on three points with Tajikistan, but 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 Thursday’s second game, in order to progress further.

A draw against Afghanistan may also be enough for India to finish in top-2 in Group B, if Iran either win or draw against Tajikistan.

However, a defeat against Afghanistan will result in India’s elimination, as Tajikistan, in such a scenario, will have the better goal difference in the matches played among the three teams who would end up on three points each (Tajikistan, India and Afghanistan).

India head coach Khalid Jamil, however, is not thinking of such permutations and combinations ahead of the crucial tie.

“We are not thinking of all such scenarios at this point. There is no point to it. We will go into the game looking for a win. It’s as simple as that,” Jamil said.

India’s victory against co-hosts Tajikistan in their first match of the tournament was their first competitive win since November 2023.

Talking about the 0-3 loss to Iran on Monday, Jamil said, “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,” the new head coach.

“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.

“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 said.

India (133rd in FIFA rankings) hold the upper hand against Afghanistan (161st) in the head-to-head records, having won 13 times. Afghanistan have emerged victorious against India only on two occasions, with seven matches between the two sides having ended in draws.

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. Our last result was not up to the mark, so we need to respond likewise,” he said.

“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 the head coach.

Jhingan injured

India, however, will miss the services of centre-back Sandesh Jhingan, who sustained an injury during the match against Iran.

“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.”