The Indian men's football team is set to face Oman in the third-place playoff of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 on Monday, September 8, 2025, at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 PM IST.
India's path to the third-place match saw them finish second in Group B with four points. They started their campaign with a 2-1 victory over co-hosts Tajikistan, marking their first win against them in 17 years. However, they suffered a 3-0 defeat against Iran in their second match. In their final group match, India played out a goalless draw against Afghanistan. This draw, combined with the 2-2 draw between Iran and Tajikistan, was enough to secure India's place in the third-place playoff, finishing ahead of Tajikistan due to their head-to-head record.
Oman, ranked 79th in the world, come into the match unbeaten in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025. They finished second in Group A after drawing 1-1 with Uzbekistan and beating Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan by identical 2-1 margins.
India, currently ranked 133rd in the FIFA rankings, will have a tough task against Oman. The two sides have faced each other 10 times in international football, with India yet to register a win against Oman. Oman have won seven of those matches, while three have ended in draws. India's only win against Oman came on September 21, 1994, in the Independence Cup held in Oman, where they won 4-1.
Lallianzuala Chhangte is expected to be included in the starting XI. Ashique Kuruniyan will be suspended for the game after picking up two yellow cards in the group stage.
India's head coach, Khalid Jamil, has emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and securing a good result. He acknowledged the strength of the Omani side but expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete. Jamil stated, "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".
The match will be streamed live on FanCode.
