India to face Oman in CAFA Nations Cup third-place match

India will face Oman in the CAFA Nations Cup third-place match after drawing with Afghanistan and defeating Tajikistan. Head coach Khalid Jamil hopes to build on the team’s strong performance and positivity

Hyderabad: It may be India’s maiden appearance in the CAFA Nations Cup, but the Blue Tigers, the second-lowest-ranked team in the competition, are all set to play the third-placed match against Oman at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on Monday.

Having played three matches, India has won one (against Tajikistan), lost one (against IR Iran), and drawn one (against Afghanistan), knocking out Tajikistan and Afghanistan along the way. Blue Tigers’ head coach Khalid Jamil, at the pre-match press conference, exuded positivity regarding the team’s current outlook.

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“All our players are fine and are all positive after these results. We must continue this positivity into the next game. I have a good feeling that we could get a positive result,” said Jamil. “We felt from the very start that we could do something good here, and I must say that it is the belief and hard work of the players that have brought us to the CAFA Nations Cup play-off stage.”

“The commitment that the players showed was amazing – be it seniors or juniors, everyone contributed. The way they adapted to the conditions was commendable. I never felt like we were here to just participate – we came with a purpose, and the feeling was always positive,” he added.

While Jamil has surrounded the Blue Tigers camp with an air of positivity, the India head coach is wary of the potential threat Oman, ranked 79th, poses, especially considering India is ranked 133rd in the FIFA rankings.

“Oman is a very good team. They have a good coach (Carlos Queiroz), quality players, and they’ve done well in their group. It will definitely not be easy, and we’ll have to fight for everything. But we are ready for it,” Jamil said.

India has faced Oman 10 times, but the Blue Tigers are yet to win a match against them. The Reds have won seven of these encounters, while three have ended in draws.

Despite the past record, Jamil is focused on securing a win. “First and foremost, we must get a result – that’s the most important thing,” he said.

India has scored two goals in the tournament (both in a 2-1 victory against hosts Tajikistan), and both have come from set-pieces. While Jamil’s men are working on increasing their scoring potential, the India head coach is more focused on putting in a good performance as a unit.

“It doesn’t matter how you score, as long as you do well. Sometimes, you score from open play, while other times, you score from set-pieces – it’s all a part of the game. What matters at the end of the day is that you get the results,” he said.

“Of course, there’s focus on scoring from open play too. We will keep trying until we succeed. We’ve created a lot of chances, but I still feel they are not enough,” Jamil said. “We need to create more and convert them.”

India is preparing for the two AFC Asian Cup 2027 Group C Qualifiers matches against Singapore (October 9 and 14) next month, but the head coach feels that it is important for the Blue Tigers to focus on one game at a time.

“I’ve believed from the beginning that participation in the CAFA Nations Cup was a very good decision. The more matches we play, the better we get. It’s a great opportunity to prepare and build the team further,” Jamil said. “But right now, we are only thinking of the Oman game.”

Blue Tigers defender Boris Singh Thangjam, at the press conference, stressed the importance of recovery for the players over the last three days since their goalless draw against Afghanistan.

“I think Oman is a very competitive side, but we know what we have to do. We’ve been preparing for the last three days, and everyone has recovered very well. We hope to give our best,” said Boris.

The match will kick off at 17:30 IST and will be streamed live on FanCode.