Indian Football Team Rival Watch: Afghanistan

The Blue Tigers will go up against Afghanistan on 4th September at the Hisor Central Stadium

The Indian national football team started their 2025 CAFA Nations Cup campaign with an historic 2-1 win over Tajikistan. Anwar Ali and Rahul Bheke got on the scoresheet as Khalid Jamil had a blockbuster start to his tenure as the new head coach.

High on confidence, India went up against Iran on Monday, looking to build up on their previous result. While the first half ended goalless, Iran took the game to the Blue Tigers in the second half, winning 3-0 and putting a dent on India’s hopes of qualification to the semifinals of the tournament.

With the opportunity of progression still in their hands, the Indian football team are set to now go up against Afghanistan on Thursday. India might be the favourites on paper, but the Lions of Khorasan have turned out to be a tricky affair in recent games.

Afghanistan football team: Recent Performances

The Afghanistan football team have suffered 3-1 and 2-0 losses to Iran and Tajikistan respectively in their two CAFA Nations Cup 2025 group games so far. They are at the bottom of the group and have a very slim chance of progressing to the knockout stage.

If we include their two losses in this tournament, Afghanistan have faced defeats in their last eight international games. Owing to their bad run of form, the Lions of Khorasan have slipped to 161 in the latest FIFA Rankings.

Afghanistan’s last win in international football incidentally came against India. The Blue Tigers lost 2-1 in Guwahati on 26th March 2024 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Ashley Westwood was the manager of the Central Asian nation at that time.

The Indian national football team has struggled in recent games against Afghanistan. In their last five head-to-head encounters, India has picked up one win, one loss, and three draws. Nothing short of three points will guarantee a berth for the Blue Tigers in the semifinal of the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup.

The Coach

The Afghans are currently led by their Italian tactician, Vincenzo Alberto Annese. The 40-year-old signed up for the Lions in May 2025. Same as Khalid Jamil, the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 is also the first time Vincenzo got a chance to be on the sidelines with his new team.

Vincenzo is certainly no stranger to Indian football. The tactician has managed Gokulam Kerala in the I-League and NorthEast United in the Indian Super League between 2020 and 2023. He was also the head coach of Nepal between 2023 and 2024 before taking the top job with the Afghans.

With Gokulam Kerala, Vincenzo won back-to-back I-League titles in 2021 and 2022. He was also given the Syed Abdul Rahim Award for being the best I-League coach in the 2021-22 season. Seeking his first win with Afghanistan, the Italian would be eager to prove a point when his side laces up against the Blue Tigers.

Afghanistan: Players to watch out vs India

Thomas Safari

Born in Canada, Thomas Safari holds dual citizenship and plays as a left midfielder for Afghanistan. Aged 28, he made his international debut in March 2025.

Thomas scored Afghanistan’s solitary goal in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 so far. His strike against Iran was pure precision as he beat the offside trap, latching on to a perfect throughball, and making an acute finish past the keeper.

Rahmat Akbari

The 25-year-old plays as the forward/attacking midfielder in the Afghanistan national football team. Rahmat Akbari also holds dual citizenship. He has represented the Austalia U-17 football team and currently plays his club football with the Gold Coast Knights in Australia.

So far, Rahmat Akbari has amassed 10+ appearances in the Afghan jersey. The forward scored against India in his side’s 2-1 win in Guwahali last year and would be looking to add to his tally once again this time around.

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