Football: India make history against Oman to clinch third place at CAFA Nations Cup 2025
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
Khalid Jamil’s tenure off to promising start
India made history on Monday afternoon by holding their nerve in a tense penalty shootout against Oman to claim third place at the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 and confirm our football predictions for the match.
The Blue Tigers stood firm in the first half and carved out the first clear chance of the match, with Anwar Ali calling Oman’s shot-stopper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini into action from a towering header inside the opening 20 minutes.
However, it was the Reds that took the lead in the clash after the interval, when Abdullah Fawaz set up Al Yahmadi just before the hour mark, forcing Khalid Jamil to respond by making a double substitution, bringing on Suresh and Udanta Singh.
It did not take long before the new head coach’s changes paid off, as India levelled proceedings within minutes, with Rahul Bheke’s long throw finding its way to Udanta to finish off a Danish Farooq flick on.
India received another major boost in the closing stages of the match when Oman defender Ali Al Busaidi was sent off, but the Blue Tigers were unable to make their man advantage count and went into a penalty shoot-out after the game ended at 1-1.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu leads India to historic achievement
There was plenty of concerns over how India would fare at the CAFA Nations Cup after Indian Super League champions, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, refused to allow their players to join the national team for the competition.
A total of seven MBSG players were initially selected for Khalid Jamil’s first assignment, including star goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, who won the ISL’s Golden Glove last season for keeping 15 clean sheets.
As a result, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was tasked with protecting the Blue Tigers’ goal at the competition, and the FC Goa shot-stopper stepped up in a big way, producing three saves in the penalty shootout to help his side to victory.
Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahul Bheke and Jithin M.S. all slotted away their spotkicks against the higher-ranked Oman, while Al Mukhaini saved Anwar Ali’s penalty, and Udanta Singh stuck his effort wide of the target.
India’s third-placed finish at the CAFA Nations Cup is a massive boost for football in the country and the team’s most significant result in several years, with many believing that it could be a catalyst for change in the coming years.
