Exclusive: Indian Football Team to replace Malaysia in CAFA Nations Cup 2025

India’s new head coach is likely to begin his tenure with matches against Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.

The Indian Football Team are set to replace Malaysia in the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup 2025, scheduled to take place from August 29 to September 8 in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

This comes after Malaysia withdrew from the tournament, with their head coach Peter Cklamovski citing the non-FIFA match window as a hurdle due to player availability.

Khel Now can exclusively confirm that India will join Group B, where they will face off against Iran, Afghanistan, and hosts Tajikistan in the group stage of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025. The final paperwork is expected to be signed within the next 24 to 28 hours.

“AIFF and CAFA are in the last stage of negotiations, and final paperwork is likely to be signed in the next 24-28 hours. The Indian Football Team will play against Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan in group stage matches,” a source close to the CAFA Nations Cup organiser told Khel Now.

India’s participation comes at a crucial juncture. The Blue Tigers have managed only one win since November 2023, a friendly victory against the Maldives in March 2025 under Manolo Marquez.

The Indian team is currently without a head coach after the resignation of Manolo Marquez, whose tenure ended with a disappointing record.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have shortlisted three candidates for the vacant head coach role: Stephen Constantine, Khalid Jamil, and Stefan Tarkovic. A final decision is expected later this week. Whoever is appointed will have a challenging start, taking charge just before the high-stakes CAFA tournament.

Adding to the recent turbulence around Indian football, a bizarre saga saw the AIFF receive what were believed to be applications from global icons Xavi Hernandez and Pep Guardiola. After initial excitement and backlash over not shortlisting them, the AIFF clarified that the applications were not genuine.

Important games before the October qualifiers

India’s group in the CAFA Nations Cup is a tough one, featuring Iran, Afghanistan, and hosts Tajikistan. These fixtures provide much-needed preparation ahead of India’s two key AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers against Singapore this October.

India’s upcoming schedule includes two decisive matches in October 2025 against Singapore in the third round of AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. With only one team qualifying from each group, India’s poor start—a draw against Bangladesh followed by a loss to Hong Kong in group C—means the next games are do-or-die.

CAFA Nations Cup 2025 – Group Draw

Group A

• Uzbekistan (Host)
• Kyrgyzstan
• Turkmenistan
• Oman

Group B

• Tajikistan (Host)
• Iran
• Afghanistan
• India

The CAFA Nations Cup brings together some of the strongest teams in Central and South Asia, with Oman and India participating as guest nations. Winners of each group will compete in the final, while the second-placed teams will face off for third place on September 8.

India’s likely schedule at the CAFA Nations Cup 2025

• 29 August: Tajikistan vs India
• 1 September: Iran vs India
• 4 September: Afghanistan vs India
• 8 September: Potential Final or Third-Place Match

The incoming head coach will face a race against time to prepare the squad for the CAFA tournament. These three games will serve as an important platform to assess players and build momentum before the critical Asian Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, the Indian football ecosystem remains in a state of flux. With no clarity yet on the ISL 2025–26 season due to the unresolved AIFF draft constitution case and the pending Master Rights Agreement with FSDL, the national team setup becomes even more critical.

The AIFF is expected to request longer training camps and early player releases from ISL clubs, both for CAFA and the AFC qualifiers. What unfolds in the next few months could shape the future of Indian football.

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