What happened when Indian football team faced Iran last time?

India will take on Iran in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025.

Indian football Team will face Iran in their second game of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 on September 1. The Blue Tigers are taking part in the CAFA Nations Cup for the first time.

This tournament will mark the beginning of Khalid Jamil’s tenure as the head coach of India. He is the first Indian to be appointed as the head coach of the national team in more than a decade.

India and Iran have met ten times in the past, with Team Melli being the ever dominant dominant force in these matches.

Team Melli have won 8 times against India, succumbing in only one of those matches. It has been almost a decade since these sides played against each other. In this article, we will recall what happened when India last faced Iran.

Also Read: Indian Football Team Rival Watch: Iran

A World Cup Qualifier clash

The last competitive fixture between India and Iran was a FIFA World Cup Qualifier clash. India and Team Melli were drawn in the same group for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The first leg of the two-legged qualifiers was played in India. That match resulted in a comfortable 3-0 win for Team Melli.

A few months later, in March 2016, India travelled to Iran for the away fixture. The Indian team knew that this journey might not be rewarding for them, as there was a huge gap between the potential of both teams. However, the Blue Tigers were up for the fight.

India’s fighting spirit was on display in the first half-hour of the game. As expected, Team Melli were on the front foot right from the first minute. The waves of Iranian attacks started pouring as the match started. The Indian defence had no time to settle into the match as Team Melli instantly began launching a lethal onslaught. The hero for India in the first thirty minutes was Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The tall, sturdy goalkeeper made multiple saves to keep India in the game. India also found themselves lucky as Iran hit the post twice.

However, India’s resolve broke when a reckless challenge in the box gave Iran a penalty in the 33rd minute, which was converted by the veteran Ehsan Hajsafi.

This was a massive blow for India, as their only chance of achieving something from this game would have arisen had they kept Team Melli silent. But the Indians still did not lose hope after a deflating penalty goal for Team Melli. The Indian defence tried to keep it tight and successfully contained Team Melli to only a goal lead when the half-time whistle was blown.

Capitulation in the second half

The first half, regardless of conceding a goal, was decent for India. The scoreline was still 1-0, and the Blue Tigers were still in the game. Their defensive resilience continued in the initial phase of the second half. But Team Melli’s relentless pressure led to India finally giving in. Sardar Azmoun, with a proper striker’s finish, doubled Iran’s lead in the 61st minute.

The second goal almost signalled the end of India’s gritty defensive display. The Indian defense just could not withstand the onslaught and started committing mistakes. One of those mistakes led to another penalty, which was again converted by Hajsafi. After the third goal, it was all about the formalities, which were capped off by Iran’s fourth goal scored by Alireza Jahanbakhsh. The match ended in an agonizing 4-0 defeat for India.

The two teams are again meeting on September 1. Both teams have undergone massive changes since the last time they faced off. It will be a gargantuan challenge for India, and the Blue Tigers would be aiming to put on a good show.

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