Indian Football Star Sandesh Jhingan Suffers Cheekbone Fracture, Out of CAFA Nations Cup

New Delhi, Sep 5 – Indian football defender Sandesh Jhingan has been ruled out of the ongoing CAFA Nations Cup 2025 after suffering a cheekbone fracture during India’s match against Iran.

The injury happened in the first half of the game, which India lost 0-3. Despite the serious injury, Jhingan played the full 90 minutes, showing incredible determination. He later returned to India and is currently receiving medical care in Goa.

In a joint statement, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Jhingan’s club FC Goa said, “Sandesh is under expert medical care in Goa, and his recovery is being closely monitored. We’re fully committed to supporting him through his treatment and rehab.”

The AIFF also thanked FC Goa for their cooperation and added that it remains committed to supporting all players injured while representing the national team.

India has now reached the third-place playoff in the tournament. After drawing 0-0 with Afghanistan in their final group match, India had to wait for the result of the Iran vs. Tajikistan game. That match ended 2-2, which allowed India to finish second in Group B with four points. Iran topped the group with seven points, while Tajikistan (also on four points) and Afghanistan (one point) were knocked out. India qualified ahead of Tajikistan thanks to their 2-1 head-to-head win in the opening match.

The Blue Tigers will now play the third-place match on September 8. Their opponent will be the second-place team from Group A.

As of now, Oman and Uzbekistan both have four points and lead Group A. Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan are behind with one point each. The final group games — Oman vs. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan vs. Kyrgyzstan — will decide who moves forward.

India will be hoping to end their CAFA Nations Cup campaign on a high, though they’ll miss Jhingan’s solid presence in defence.