New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): The senior Indian men's national team will begin their first-ever CAFA Nations Cup 2025 campaign against hosts Tajikistan at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan on August 29.

India has been placed in Group B, where, after facing the hosts, they will play Iran (September 1) and Afghanistan (September 4). Group A, meanwhile, consists of hosts Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Oman. The top teams from each group will play each other in the final, while the two second-placed teams will face off in the third-place match, both to be played on September 8.

India head coach Khalid Jamil sounded satisfied with his side's 10-day preparatory camp in Bengaluru, preceding the tournament. 'We had a good preparation for the CAFA Nations Cup. Every player worked hard before coming here. It is a pleasure for us to participate in this tournament,' he said as quoted by an AIFF press release.

India and Tajikistan have played each other five times in history, with the Central Asian country winning three. The Blue Tigers' only win against Tajikistan came in the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 final, where India defeated the Persian Lions 4-1.

That result was 18 years ago, and Tajikistan (106th in the FIFA Rankings) are a different side now. Jamil is fully aware of the threats that the opponents pose to India (133rd in the FIFA Rankings), but is more intent on the Blue Tigers playing their own game.

'Yes, we know about them (Tajikistan). They are a strong side and have done well recently. But we must focus on our own game and be mentally prepared,' said Jamil. 'It is important for us to play as a unit and keep improving every match. The process will take time. We want to focus on both the juniors and the seniors to build a strong unit for the future matches,' he added.

The India head coach stressed the importance of spreading positivity in the team. 'We must think fresh, we must think positive. Yes, this is an away game against a strong team, but we must prepare accordingly and focus solely on one thing: a positive result. All the players must take responsibility. I feel that we are ready to accept this challenge.

India goalkpeeper Hrithik Tiwari, at the pre-match press conference, said, 'We have trained hard over the last few weeks, and our camp in Bengaluru gave us an intense 10 days to get ready for the CAFA Nations Cup. I am sure everyone is excited to play this tournament and ready to give their best.' (ANI)