The National team of Tajikistan beat Afghanistan in the second round of the group stage of the Cafa Nations Cup 2025 tournament. This was announced by the press service of the Tajik football Federation.
The match in the central stadium of Gissar ended with a score of 2-0 in favor of the hosts of the tournament.
The meeting watched more than 15 thousand spectators. At the 24th minute, the midfielder Ehsoni Panjshanbe opened the score by implementing the penalty. In the compensated time of the second half, striker Shervoni Mabatshoev, who replaced, doubled the advantage and established the final result.
In another match of group B, the Iranian team confidently defeated India with a score of 3-0. According to the results of two rounds, Iran leads (6 points). India and Tajikistan scored three points, but the Indian team is ahead of the owners of the tournament in additional indicators. Afghanistan has no points yet.
The final matches of the group stage will be held on September 4. At 17:00 Afghanistan will meet with India, and at 20:30 Tajikistan will play with Iran. Both games will take place at the Central Stadium of Gissar.
“Cafa Nations Cup” – an international tournament of national teams under the auspices of the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA), created in 2015. The first draw took place in June 2023 in Tashkent and Bishkek, where in the final the Iranian national team beat Tajikistan with a score of 1: 0 and became the first winner of the competition.
The second tournament is held from August 28 to September 7, 2025 in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Six national teams of the region participate in it – Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Turkmenistan. Games are held at the Central Stadium Gissar (Tajikistan) and at the Pakhtakor stadium in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). The winner of the current draw will receive a direct ticket to the final part of the Asian Cup.