India Stuns Tajikistan 2-1 in Khalid Jamil’s Winning Debut
Khalid Jamil kicked off his tenure as the head coach of India’s men’s football team in style, leading the Blue Tigers to a 2-1 victory over Tajikistan in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup. Despite being underdogs, India secured their first win on foreign soil in nearly two years, with goals from Anwar Ali and Sandesh Jhingan.
India took an early lead in the fifth minute when defender Anwar Ali’s header found the back of the net, despite a desperate attempt from the host to clear the ball. The win was especially sweet for Jamil’s side, as they played without star forward Sunil Chhetri and the Mohun Bagan Super Giant players, who were not released for the match.
The victory was sealed in the second half, when Jhingan pounced on a rebound after Rahul Bheke’s header was saved by Tajikistan’s goalkeeper Muhriddin Hasanov. Tajikistan fought back with a goal from Shahrom Samiev, but India held firm, with goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu making a crucial penalty save to preserve the lead.
The win marks a major milestone for India and sets them up for a clash with Asian powerhouse Iran on September 1.
