The Indian men’s football team secured third place in the CAFA Nations Cup after a 3-2 win on penalties against Oman to mark their debut in the tournament with a bronze medal.

The Blue Tigers who had taken part in the tournament with one eye on next month’s twin AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Singapore returned with a podium finish in the eight-team tournament that featured Asian heavyweights like Iran and winners Uzbekistan who took the other two spots on the podium.

The bronze medal will boost the Blue Tigers who have endured a difficult 12-months before the tournament as they look to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for a third-time running.

Here are some of the key learnings for India from the CAFA Nations Cup

Khalid Jamil finds the formula

Khalid Jamil was appointed the head coach of the senior men’s team just 28 days before the tournament and didn’t have too much time on his hands to implement his ideas with the players.

Being the third-lowest ranked team in the competition, the CAFA Nations Cup was a tough assignment for the new coach. However, the new head coach approached the task with unwavering positivity that reflected in the team’s performances in Tajikistan.

India were not fazed by the challenge of the task that they faced and upset hosts Tajikistan in the first game. Even against Iran where India eventually lost 3-0, they had kept their opponents at bay in the first half and looked pretty solid.

Mixing work rate with resolve, Jamil instilled a fighting spirit in the Indian team that wasn’t evident in recent months and one that allowed them to claw back from difficult situations.

The Blue Tigers didn’t throw in the towel even when they were goal down against Oman and found the equaliser to force extra-time, a period that India ended on the front foot.

Also Read: Best reactions as India clinch historic bronze at CAFA Nations Cup 2025

Tactically and emotionally, Jamil found a formula that made India an opponent that no team enjoyed facing and also managed to eke out key results when needed.

Jamil is known to get the best out of his players and that quality was on full display in the CAFA Nations Cup.

Gurpreet’s redemption story

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had lost his place as the first-choice goalkeeper and was guilty of costing India key goals, especially in the defeat to Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

With growing competition, Sandhu’s national team spot was under threat. But despite huge pressure to deliver, the Bengaluru FC custodian rose to the occasion and reminded everyone why he held India's No 1 goalkeeper tag for so long.

Saving a penalty in the 2-1 win over Tajikistan, Sandhu got back his aura and continued to showcase it in the coming games. He also saved the decisive penalty kick in the shootout against Oman to clinch the bronze medal for India.

But apart from his work between the sticks, Sandhu was a leader in a dressing room full of youngsters and also captained the side in the final. He was the one the team looked upto and he led by example fueling India’s urge to prove a point.

Sandhu is back and so is the race for India’s first-choice goalkeeping position.

Long throw-ins a new weapon

If there was one clear imprint of Khalid Jamil on the India team, it was the use of long throw-ins. The Blue Tigers had struggled for goals under previous head coach Manolo Marquez and Jamil added his trademark long throw-ins to the mix at the CAFA Nations Cup.

The long throw-ins proved to be a highly effective weapon as India scored all three of the goals in Tajikistan from the long throw-ins. Muhammed Uvais who made his national team debut was the man sending the long throw-ins and it caused teams all sorts of problems. As the Blue Tigers still search for consistency in attack, the long throw-ins can serve as a deadly weapon for Jamil’s men

A base for upcoming challenges

The biggest takeaway for the Indian team from the CAFA Nations Cup was the team morale and the bonding. The players played for each other and showcased a united front. There was chemistry between the team and the results in Tajikistan would have boosted their morale.

With must-win games against Singapore on the horizon, India will head into these matches with a positive frame of mind and look to turn things around in their AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

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Muhammed UvaisGurpreet Singh Sandhu