Dushanbe, August: Iran began their CAFA 2025 campaign with a 3–1 victory over Afghanistan in the opening match of the group stage, held at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan.
The match kicked off at 15:30 local time, with both sides eager to start the tournament strongly. Iran, led by head coach Amir Ghalenoei, controlled much of the game and capitalized on their attacking opportunities, scoring three goals past the Afghan defense. Afghanistan responded with determination and managed to score once, but could not close the gap against their more experienced rivals.
Iran started the match with the following lineup:
Payam Niazmand, Arya Yousefi, Aref Aghasi, Ali Nemati, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Omid Noorafkan, Mehran Ahmadi, Mehdi Hashemnejad, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Majid Aliyari, and Ali Alipour.
Despite the defeat, Afghanistan showed moments of promise and resilience, gaining valuable experience against one of Asia’s top footballing nations. For Iran, the win strengthens their position in the group and boosts confidence ahead of upcoming fixtures.
Both teams will look to build on this performance as the CAFA 2025 tournament progresses, with Afghanistan aiming to bounce back in their next match.
