India placed in Group B in CAFA as Malaysia withdraws

KABUL (Pajhwok): Following Malaysia’s withdrawal from the 2025 Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Cup, India has been confirmed as their replacement and would join Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan in Group B.
In a statement, the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) wrote on its Facebook page that the group B matches of CAFA Cup would be hosted by Tajikistan.

The federation added: “With CAFA’s official confirmation, India has joined Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup. Afghanistan will face Iran, Tajikistan, and India in the group stage.”

Malaysia was originally drawn in Group B alongside Afghanistan but it officially withdrew from the tournament on July 15, citing a focus on preparations for key qualifying matches of the AFC Asian Cup.

The 2025 CAFA Cup tournament will be held from August 29 to September 8, with eight teams competing across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

As one of Central Asia’s major football tournaments, the CAFA Nations Cup offers the Afghanistan national team a valuable opportunity to showcase their talent against well-known regional rivals.

kk/ma