Hisor [Tajikistan], September 6 : India, in their debut appearance at the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, have had a win, a loss, and a draw thus far - results that have helped them pip hosts Tajikistan to the second spot in Group B.
The Blue Tigers, under new head coach Khalid Jamil, have exhibited discipline in defence that has pitted them against Oman in the third-place match of the play-off round, which is set to take place at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on September 8 at 17:30 IST.
For India (133rd in the FIFA rankings), a match against higher-ranked Oman (79th) will go a long way in preparing them for their real objective, which is to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027; they play two matches (away and home) against Singapore next month.
Blue Tigers centre back Anwar Ali is relishing the opportunity to get another game in an India jersey.
"An international game is an international game, so when you get one extra match, it just gives you more time and more confidence, every time you play at this level. I think it's a good opportunity for us to prepare for the Asian Cup qualifiers. We will give it our best on Monday and try to get that third place," said Anwar as quoted by AIFF press release.
With Sandesh Jhingan ruled out for the rest of the tournament after he suffered a fractured jaw in the match against IR Iran, Anwar's role at the heart of the India defence, alongside makeshift centre-back Rahul Bheke, becomes all the more important. The 25-year-old certainly stepped up to the role, putting in an outstanding performance in the stalemate against Afghanistan, in their last game, an effort that earned him the Player of the Match award.
"He is obviously a big miss for us, but that's how things are in football. We hope he'll be back soon, but till then, the rest of us have to keep performing our roles, and keep filling in his boots," said Anwar.
"I was happy that we could get the result in the last game and that my performance earned me Player of the Match. But, at the end of the day, it was all about teamwork," the player concluded.