By Rahul Giri
The Indian men’s football team put up a gritty fight against continental powerhouse Iran before succumbing to a 0-3 defeat in their Group B clash of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 at the Hisor Central Stadium on Monday.
Head coach Khalid Jamil made two changes from the side that beat Tajikistan in the opener, bringing in Danish Farooq and Nikhil Prabhu while resting Jeakson Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte. Against Iran, India’s game plan was clear, stay compact, congest the centre, and force the opponents wide.
The strategy worked well in the opening stages. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was tested as early as the fifth minute with a long-range strike, but the India captain pulled off a confident save. Iran continued to push, largely through crosses, yet the Indian defence, marshalled by Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali, stood firm.
India even restricted Iran to half-chances, including a wayward header from Naderi’s cross in the 42nd minute, and went into the break with the score still goalless, a small victory in itself against a side ranked 20th in the world, 112 places above the Blue Tigers.
The deadlock was finally broken just before the hour mark. Substitute Chinglensana Singh had barely settled into the back line when Amirhossein slipped free in the box, finishing calmly after a pass from Zadegan. Rahul Bheke missed the interception, and Iran capitalised to take a 1-0 lead.
The introduction of Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Mehdi Taremi in the 73rd minute underlined Iran’s depth. The pair combined late on to double the advantage. Taremi drew the Indian defence before releasing Jahanbakhsh, whose shot was saved by Gurpreet but bounced off the crossbar before rolling into the net in the 89th minute.
The contest was put beyond doubt deep into stoppage time. In the 90+6th minute, Jahanbakhsh turned provider, squaring for Inter Milan striker Taremi to apply a ruthless finish and make it 3-0.
For all their resilience, India struggled to create meaningful opportunities in the final third. The defensive effort kept them competitive for long periods, but Iran’s quality ultimately proved decisive.
The defeat leaves India with three points from two matches. Their hopes of topping the group have diminished, but a victory over Afghanistan in their final group fixture will secure a spot in the play-off for third place against the runners-up from Group A. Iran, meanwhile, will meet Tajikistan in their last group game.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news