India suffered a 0-3 defeat to defending champions Iran in their second match of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan on Monday.
After a resilient first-half display, where the Blue Tigers managed to frustrate their higher-ranked opponents, India conceded three goals after the break. Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, before late strikes from substitutes Ali Alipour (89’) and Mehdi Taremi (90+6’) sealed the win for Iran.
Ranked 20th in the FIFA standings, Iran, 113 places above India, dominated possession from the start, forcing early saves from Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. India gradually settled into the contest, with Nikhil Prabhu’s effort in the 24th minute being their closest chance in the first half.
Head coach Khalid Jamil’s side showed promise after the restart, with substitutes Manvir Singh Jr., Mahesh Naorem, and Jithin MS adding some attacking spark. Bheke headed wide from Manvir’s cross in the 72nd minute, while Jithin’s counterattacking runs caused Iran some concern late on.
However, Iran’s experienced forwards made the difference in the closing stages. Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Taremi combined to trouble the Indian backline, with Alipour doubling the lead from close range, before Taremi wrapped up the contest in injury time.
India will look to bounce back in their next outing after a spirited but ultimately fruitless performance against Asia’s heavyweights.
