Uzbekistan Wins CAFA Nations Cup 2025 and India Secures Historic Bronze Medal.

The 2nd edition of the CAFA (Central Asian Football Association) Nations Cup 2025 was held from 29 August to 8 September 2025 across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan defeated defending champion Iran in the final, while India clinched a historic bronze medal by beating Oman.

      - Uzbekistan lifted their first-ever CAFA Nations Cup title by defeating Iran 1–0 in the final. The tournament featured 8 teams, including 6 CAFA members (Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and 2 invitees, India and Oman.

      - The Indian men’s national football team, led by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, secured a third-place finish by defeating Oman 3–2 on penalties in their debut CAFA Nations Cup appearance. This marked India’s first-ever international victory over Oman.

Main Point :-   (i) India, ranked 133rd in FIFA rankings, stunned Oman, ranked 79th, to win the bronze medal. Uzbekistan, ranked 55th, clinched gold, while Iran, ranked 20th, settled for silver.

      (ii) In tournament awards, Khojaskar Alijonov (Uzbekistan) was named Best Player, Igor Sergeyev (Uzbekistan) was the Top Goalscorer, Payam Niazmand (Iran) won Best Goalkeeper, and the Fair Play Award was given to Tajikistan.

(iii) The 2025 edition also marked India’s entry as a guest team after Malaysia’s withdrawal, making their bronze medal finish a significant milestone in Indian football history.
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