The senior Indian men’s national team, after defeating host Tajikistan last week, is now winding up for the clash against Asian powerhouse Iran at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on Monday.
India head coach Khalid Jamil credited the victory against the hosts to the unity amongst the entire team.
“The win was all down to the unity that the players showed on the pitch. They all worked in unison. Not only the players, but the entire staff – the technical, non-technical, and medical staff all worked together, and the unity within the team is visible,” Jamil said to aiff.com on the eve of the match.
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India (133rd in the FIFA rankings) next faces Iran (ranked 20th), a match that may very well be termed as a ‘David versus Goliath’ affair.
Jamil, however, is focussed on getting the Blue Tigers up and ready for the match against the Asian giant.
“The win in the last game was a huge motivation for us, but the main thing right now is for us to be ready for the Iran game. We’ve had two days to recover, and now we need to ensure that everyone is fresh when we face Iran,” said Jamil.
India beat Tajikistan 2-1 in its CAFA Nations Cup 2025 opener — its first win against the Central Asian nation in 17 years.
| Photo Credit:
AIFF Media
India beat Tajikistan 2-1 in its CAFA Nations Cup 2025 opener — its first win against the Central Asian nation in 17 years.
| Photo Credit:
AIFF Media
Defender Sandesh Jhingan, who scored the second goal in the 2-1 victory against Tajikistan and was named Player of the Match for his performance, stressed the importance of using the Tajikistan win to build momentum for the real objectives.
“Yes, we are happy that we got a win and that we have three points, but we must build on this win as a nation and as a team. We must continue to improve, because our main aim is to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the third consecutive time,” said Jhingan.
“These games are important for us to prepare for the upcoming qualifiers (against Singapore).”
Iran and India have met six times, with the latter winning twice and Team Melli having four victories. However, India’s last win against Iran came in 1959 in Ernakulam, when goals from Chuni Goswami, Yusuf Khan, and Tulsidas Balaram helped the hosts win 3-1.
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India last faced Iran in 2016 in the World Cup qualifiers, where the latter won 4-0 in Tehran. Of the current squad, only Jhingan, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and winger Udanta Singh were present in that team.
“I think only the three of us (Jhingan, Sandhu, and Udanta) have played against them in this squad, so we know what kind of a challenge they will pose,” Gupreet said.
“What we have learned playing against top opposition like Iran is that we have to make the most of our chances when they come by, and minimise our mistakes as much as we can, because such teams will punish any lapses.
“We must show bravery and desire. Nothing is impossible in football – the Grimsby vs Manchester United (match) was an example of that,” he added.
Published on Aug 31, 2025
