India finish in second spot in CAFA Nations Cup Group B Standings; set to play third-place match

After a draw with Afghanistan in the third game, India finish in second position in Group B.

Indian football team concluded their group stage campaign in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 with a stalemate against Afghanistan, which has secured a second-place finish in Group B. With Tajikistan and Iran playing a draw, India finished above Tajikistan courtesy of the head-to-head record.

The team finishing at the top of the group will qualify for the final, whereas the second-placed team will play the third-place match.

Teams in Group A are locked in a fierce battle, with all teams having a point after the first matchday. Co-hosts Uzbekistan and Oman are the favourites to top the group. Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan have an outside chance.

India set to play third-place match

The Blue Tigers have four points in their bag after a win, a draw, and a loss. They could not continue the momentum they got after the historic victory against Tajikistan. However, their resilient defensive display against Iran received plaudits from the fans. The Blue Tigers were expected to collect all three points against Afghanistan, but a disappointing offensive outing led the match to a draw.

Group B, hosted by Tajikistan, has unfolded as expected but with a slight twist. The defending CAFA Nations Cup champions, Iran, asserted their dominance in the first two game with consecutive victories over Afghanistan and India. But Team Melli faced resistance against the hosts and could not finish the group stage with a win.

Tajikistan had a disappointing start to the tournament as they lost to India in the opener, to the dismay of home fans. However, they were back in contention to finish in the top with a comprehensive win against Afghanistan. But to finish in the top two, they had to beat the defending CAFA Nations Cup champions, Iran. They tried their best but had to compromise with a draw, resulting in their elimination.

Afghanistan had a forgettable campaign. The Lions of Khorasan could not register a single win in the competition. They succumbed to Iran and Tajikistan. But a big positive that they would aim to build upon is a resilient draw against India and the goal against mighty Iran.

Also Read: Top three Indian players who made their mark in disappointing stalemate against Afghanistan in CAFA Nations Cup

Cliffhanger expected in Group A

Like Iran, Uzbekistan were expected to dominate their group, but the result in the first match made the permutations and combinations interesting. The hosts could not collect three points in the game against Oman. Rather, they had to salvage a point with an equalizer in the second half.

Uzbekistan came back strongly in the second match against Turkmenistan, taking their tally to four points after two matches. Oman also have a similar record. After the draw against Uzbekistan, they edged Kyrgyzstan. Both teams will play their last group stage September 5 to decide the group winners.

Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are also in contention, but they will have to beat Uzbekistan and Oman, respectively, which is a Herculean task.

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