The Tajik national team defeated the Afghan national team in the second round of the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup, winning 2-0. It seemed that the result was positive, but the game itself left fans with many questions and worries before the upcoming match against Iran.
Before the meeting, Gela Shekiladze's team received an important reinforcement: goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov ("Rostov") and midfielder Parviz Umarboev (“Lokomotiv”, Plovdiv) arrived at the national team. However, the losses were not spared either – goalkeeper Oleg Baklov ("Turan", Azerbaijan) was injured at the club and left the application for the tournament.
September 1, Gissar Central Stadium, 15,265 spectators – the fans created an amazing atmosphere, but the team's game did not meet expectations. In the 24th minute, Ehsoni Panjshanbe implemented a penalty, opening the scoring. It seemed that after the goal, the team would play bolder, there were moments, but the realization failed: a series of missed chances kept the intrigue until the end of the meeting. It was only in the 92nd minute that Shervoni Mabatshoev scored the second goal.
Tajikistan's problems in attack remain obvious: with a large number of chances created, the team was again unable to defeat the opponent, who was considered the outsider of the group.
In the other match of the tour, Iran confidently beat India 3-0. So far, the Iranians look like the most balanced team in the group – a powerful attack, reliable defense and the highest level of realization of moments.
Before the decisive match against Iran, the situation is not easy, but there are chances. An option for reaching the finals: victory over Iran and loss of points by India in the match against Afghanistan. The Afghanistan–India meeting adds a special intrigue. The Afghans have repeatedly beaten the Indians, including in the World Cup qualifying round, and they can help the Tajik national team.
The main problem of the Tajikistan national team is the realization of scoring chances. The meeting with Afghanistan showed that the team creates chances, but does not finish the attacks. With Iran, such a game would be punishable.
In addition, it is important not to make mistakes in defense and to play compactly, given the speed of the Iranian flank attackers. Yatimov and Umarboev, who have returned to the team, should help the team increase reliability and add variability in creation.
On September 4, Tajikistan's national team will play against Iran in a match that could be decisive for the entire team. A victory will leave a chance to compete for the title, a draw will allow to count on bronze, and a defeat will actually deprive the national team of the opportunity to get to the finals.
