India vs Tajikistan Football Match, CAFA Nations Cup 2025 Highlights: Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu starred with a crucial penalty save as India defeated Tajikistan 2-1 at the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025 on Friday. This was the Blue Tigers first win against Tajikistan after 17 long years as well as their first victory in any competition since March of this year.
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Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri’s absence from the squad was among the big talking points. Chhetri had returned from international retirement during the troubled tenure of Jamil’s predecessor Manolo Marquez and it led to speculation of whether the 41-year-old is part of the new coach’s plans. Jamil, however, said that Chhetri has been left out because the CAFA Cup has no bearing on India’s qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
The rest of the regulars are all there in the Indian team, barring those playing for Mohun Bagan Super Giant who refused to release players for the tournament. It will be interesting to see if Jamil can uncover a consistent source of goals over the course of this tournament in Chhetri’s absence. A player worth looking out for in this regard would be Irfan Yadwad, with whom Jamil has worked earlier at Chennaiyin FC.
FOLLOW HIGHLIGHTS FROM INDIA VS TAJIKISTAN MATCH BELOW
