Table of Contents
India achieved a historic milestone:
India achieved a historic milestone by securing the bronze medal in their debut at the 2025 CAF Nations Cup. After a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time during the third-place match held at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on 8 September 2025, India triumphed over Oman 3-2 in the penalty shootout. Khalid Jamil’s inaugural tournament as coach of India was the 2025 CAF Nations Cup, where the team performed admirably, finishing in third place. This win marked India’s first-ever victory against Oman in international football. Presently, India holds the 133rd position in the FIFA rankings, whereas Oman is in 79th place, making India’s achievement against a higher-ranked opponent all the more commendable.
First half Highlights:
Both teams had opportunities in the first half of the game, yet neither was able to find the back of the net. Oman maintained possession during the first half, while India focused on counter-attacks. India’s first opportunity came in the 16th minute when Anwar Ali’s header was stopped by Oman’s goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini. Meanwhile, Issam Al Sabhi and Nasser Al Rawahi from Oman squandered opportunities in the first half, with India’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu making critical saves. Just before the break, Irfan Yadwad failed to convert a prime chance for India. Thus, at the conclusion of the first half, the match remained tied at India 0, Oman 0.
Second half Highlights:
As the second half began, Oman continued to dominate possession as they had in the first half. In the 55th minute, Oman took the lead 1-0 with a goal from Jameel Al Yahmadi. However, in the 80th minute, Udanta Singh brought India back into the game with an equalizer, heading in a long throw-in. Udanta Singh, who started the game on the bench, made a significant impact as a substitute. Consequently, at the end of the second half, the score was India 1, Oman 1.
Extra time Highlights:
Following 90 minutes, extra time was played since the match remained level. In the 96th minute, Ali Al Busaidi from Oman received a red card. Despite enjoying a numerical advantage for nearly 24 minutes of extra time, India was unable to capitalize and score. Thus, the score remained India 1, Oman 1 at the end of extra time.
Penalty shootout:
Consequently, the match’s winner was determined by a penalty shootout, as the score remained tied even after extra time.
During the shootout, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahul Bheke, and Jithin M. S. successfully converted their penalties for India, while Anwar Ali and Udanta Singh missed theirs. Furthermore, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved the decisive penalty from Oman, securing India’s victory. India emerged victorious in the penalty shootout with a score of 3-2.
This triumph will undoubtedly be etched in the memories of fans as a significant moment in the history of Indian football.
I have uploaded a video on YouTube in Bengali related to the topic discussed in this blog, and you can find the link to that video here: