Indian national team head coach Khalid Jamil expressed his delight after guiding the Blue Tigers to a bronze medal at the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, marking a positive start to his tenure.

Jamil took over the side at a crucial period, following a turbulent end to Igor Stimac’s stint and another difficult spell under Manolo Marquez. The former Indian international was handed the responsibility of lifting the team’s spirits and applying the same turnaround he brought to Jamshedpur FC.

Jamil, who was well-acquainted with the strengths of Indian players, managed to bring out their best by enforcing a clear game plan and sticking to it. His approach paid off, as India finished third in the eight-nation competition, with the standout moment being a victory over the higher-ranked Oman in the third-place playoff.

“Everyone was under pressure and wanted results for a long time. The important thing is that India won (a bronze), but it was all down to the players,” Jamil said in a recent interview with HindustanTimes.

Read: Key takeaways from CAFA Nations Cup

While Jamil’s approach was marked by hard work and high pressing in the attacking third, the real backbone of the campaign was the resilience of the defence, marshalled by Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali.

Jhingan’s decision to play on despite breaking his jaw against IR Iran in the group stage underlined the team’s fighting spirit. Newcomers like Muhammed Uvais were equally impressive, displaying remarkable determination to prove themselves on the international stage.

“It wasn’t till the end against Iran that Sandesh (Jhingan) told me he was feeling a little pain.”

“Rahul (Bheke) is quiet but a lion on the pitch. Anwar Ali is calm. In the last game (against Oman), substitutes came on and made the difference. Joh hua automatic tha. Everyone wanted to prove themselves. The new players went above and beyond what I had asked of them,” Jamil stated.

Experienced goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who was excluded by Manolo Marquez, found himself back in contention under Khalid Jamil. The Bengaluru FC shot-stopper was, in fact, one of the priorities in Jamil’s squad for the CAFA Nations Cup.

During the off-season, Sandhu travelled to Norway to train with his former club Stabæk Fotball, determined to regain his confidence. His hard work paid off, as he not only emerged as the hero in India’s win over Oman but also played a crucial role throughout the tournament with his vocal presence and commanding influence from the back, giving the Blue Tigers an added edge.

“My first call on being appointed head coach was to Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu), and I told him he was needed,” revealed Jamil.

“If you ask me who is the best player in India, my answer is: Gurpreet. I think he is one of the best goalkeepers in Asia. I told myself that my biggest mistake would be not calling Gurpreet. What did I do to help him? Gave him confidence. Bas baat khatam,” he added.

Jamil’s unique style of play proved pivotal for India at the tournament. However, for both Jamil and the Blue Tigers, this is only the beginning, with the real tests still to come. They resume their AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign with back-to-back fixtures against Singapore in October.

See: India’s probable squad for qualifiers against Singapore

With just two points from two games, the Blue Tigers are in desperate need of wins against Singapore to stay in contention for qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup for a third consecutive time.

“If I feel there are games where we need to keep the ball, we will. But let us not forget, Singapore is an away game (October 9). Smart thinking and not losing concentration will be important,” he said.

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