The Indian men's football team is set to face Oman in the third-place playoff of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan on Monday.
India secured their place in the third-place match after a goalless draw against Afghanistan in their last group fixture. Their qualification was confirmed after Iran and Tajikistan played out a 2-2 draw. India finished second in Group B with four points from three matches, with one win, one draw, and one loss. Iran topped the group with seven points, while Afghanistan exited the tournament with one point. Tajikistan also finished with four points but was edged out by India on the head-to-head rule, thanks to India's 2-1 victory against them in the opening game.
Oman finished second in Group A behind Uzbekistan, despite securing the same number of points. In their recent match, Oman defeated Turkmenistan 2-1, with Muhsen Alghassani scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time. Oman will be aiming to end their CAFA Nations League campaign on a high by maintaining their undefeated streak in the tournament.
The third-place playoff offers India a chance to finish on the podium. However, Sandesh Jhingan will be out for the Blue Tigers due to jaw surgery. Meanwhile, Oman will be eager to preserve their unbeaten run and cap off the tournament with a strong finish. Uzbekistan will play Iran in the final.