Malaysia Drawn with Iran in Group B for CAFA Nations Cup 2025

JAKARTA, July 4, 2025 – The Malaysia national football team has been officially drawn into Group B of the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup 2025, joining Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan in what promises to be a competitive group.

The tournament, organized by the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA), will take place in August, with Malaysia and Oman participating as invited guest teams.

Full Group B Line-Up and Match Schedule

Participating Teams in Group B:

• Malaysia (FIFA Rank: 131)

• Iran (FIFA Rank: 18)

• Tajikistan (FIFA Rank: 104)

• Afghanistan (FIFA Rank: 160)

Malaysia’s Match Fixtures in Dushanbe, Tajikistan:

• August 29 – Malaysia vs Tajikistan

• September 1 – Malaysia vs Iran

• September 4 – Malaysia vs Afghanistan

All Group B matches will be held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

Group A teams and knockout format

Group A line-up (Matches in Tashkent, Uzbekistan):

• Uzbekistan

• Kyrgyz Republic

• Turkmenistan

• Oman

Advancement format:

• Only the winner of each group will advance to the final in Tashkent on September 8.

• The runners-up will compete for third place on the same day in Dushanbe.

Malaysia’s post-tournament schedule: 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

After the CAFA Nations Cup, Harimau Malaya will resume their campaign in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with the following fixtures:

• October 9 – vs Laos (Away in Vientiane)

• October 14 – vs Laos (Home)

• November 18 – vs Nepal (Away in Kathmandu)

• March 2026 – vs Vietnam (Away)

Head coach Peter Cklamovski described the tournament as:

“A big opportunity to benchmark against the best”

Positive outlook on the CAFA Nations Cup

National head coach Peter Cklamovski views the tournament as a pivotal stage in the team’s development.

“The Nations Cup is an exciting tournament and an important step in our journey. We’ve been waiting for this draw and preparing different scenarios,” he said in a statement.

On facing Iran

“They’re going to a World Cup. It’s a massive challenge and opportunity for us. We’ll use this to benchmark ourselves against the best in Asia.”

Cklamovski also called on Malaysian supporters to back the team fully throughout the tournament.