India have been invited to play in the Central Asian Football Association’s (CAFA) Nations Cup next month, the regional football federation has confirmed, alongside FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers Iran and Uzbekistan.
The second edition of the tournament – Iran won the inaugural event in 2023 – will run from August 29 to September 8.
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are the host countries.
The regional tournament illustrates a significant thaw in diplomatic ties between Central Asian countries after decades of tensions and conflicts since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
“With one month to go, preparations are in full swing to deliver a tournament aimed at developing football and strengthening international collaboration across the region,” CAFA said.
In addition to India, the six members of CAFA – Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – will compete.
Oman was also invited and will play in the tournament for the second time.
Kazakhstan, a vast country in Central Asia and a major regional power, will be notably absent from the tournament as it is a member of UEFA.
Uzbekistan’s historic qualification last month for the World Cup finals was seen as a symbol of the rapid rise of football in Central Asian countries, traditionally more successful in combat sports than team sports.
In recent years, the former Soviet republics of Central Asia have made several notable breakthroughs.
All enjoy strong state support, with CAFA headed by the son of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
The Indian men’s national team are currently without a coach, while the Indian Super League (ISL) – India’s top domestic competition – is in danger of collapse following a dispute between the federation and its commercial partner.
The current turmoil led Sunil Chhetri, India’s celebrated veteran striker, to post on X about the fate of the ISL.
“Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with,” he said.
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