India's senior men's football team is in Tajikistan to play two international friendlies following the conclusion of a disappointing campaign in the Unity Cup in the United Kingdom last week.
The Unity Cup saw the Khalid Jamil-coached side, ranked 137th of the global FIFA rankings, getting beaten first by Jamaica in the semi-final and then by Zimbabwe in the third-place playoff game. Not only did the team concede three goals across two matches (twice against Jamaica and once against Zimbabwe), they failed to breach the opposition defences even once.
The buildup to the tournament was already tumultuous as Mohan Bagan Super Giants recalled its players from the national camp in Bengaluru and were subsequently absent from games in the UK too. The stand-off between the club and the All India Football Federation continues and the MBSG players continue to remain absent for national duties.
Further compounding India's problems is the unavailability of Ryan Williams. The Australian-born forward who now represents India picked up an injury during the course of Unity Cup and has not travelled with the team to Dushanbe for the two friendlies. He has been replaced by NorthEast United forward Parthib Gogoi.
The unavailability of the MBSG players means that India are in Tajikistan with a truncated squad of 22-players instead of 26. In sharp contrast to India, Tajikistan will be taking field with a huge squad of 33 players.
Tajikistan, ranked 103 in the world, have played only one game so far this year. It was their final AFC Asian Cup qualifier match against Philippines which ended in a 1-1 draw. The Tajiks enjoyed a dream run in the qualifying tournament as they remained unbeaten (four wins and two draws) in all their six group A matches and top the group. The campaign saw them beat the likes of Maldives, Timor Leste and the Philippines. Tajikistan has a new man at the helm of affairs as they are now being coached by Macedonia's Igor Angelovski.
Despite the significant gap in form and rankings, India can take confidence from their most recent meeting with Tajikistan, which ended in a memorable 2-1 victory in Dushanbe. The two sides met in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup, where goals from defenders Anwar Ali and Sandesh Jhingan secured India's first-ever win over Tajikistan on their home soil. The result was particularly significant as it marked Khalid Jamil's first victory as India's head coach and ended a 17-year wait for a win over Tajikistan.
Head to Head
- Matches played: 6
- Tajikistan wins: 3
- India wins: 2
- Draw: 1
Possible Starting XIs
- India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu; Akash Mishra, Sandhesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Poojary; Ricky Shahbong, Macarton Nickson, Vikram Pratap Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte; Farukh Choudhary, Rahim Ali.
- Tajikistan: Rustam Yatimov; Abdullo Sharifov, Sodiqjon Kurbonov, Amirbek Dzhuraboev, Tabrez Slomov; Alisher Shukurov, Parvizjon Umarbaev, Daler Sharipov, Ehsoni Panjshanbe, Shervoni Mabatshoev, Sheriddin Boboev.
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Kick-Off Time, Venue
The match at the Talco Arena in Tursunzod is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time on Friday.
How to Watch Live Telecast?
The match will not be broadcasted on any television channel in India.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
Live streaming of the match can be watched on the FanCode app and website.
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