India vs Oman: Three player battles to watch in CAFA Nations Cup 2025 third place match

India will miss forward Ashique Kuruniyan when they face Oman.

Khalid Jamil’s Indian Football Team will look to secure a third-place finish in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup when they face off against a challenging Oman side in the third-place playoff clash on Monday (8th September 2025).

It’s going to be a stern battle for the Blue Tigers, who are fifty four places below their upcoming opponents in the FIFA World Rankings and going to be in for a tough battle.

However, the Indian players have already shown a lot of heart under Khalid Jamil and produced some admirable performances.

They will need to be at their sturdiest and most composed in the upcoming clash against Oman, and certain battles on the pitch are likely to determine how the final result stands out.

Be it battles between key forwards and defenders or those in other areas of the pitch, certain individuals have the quality to make or break this match for either side. Here, we look at the three key battles to watch in India vs Oman.

Also Read: India up for third-place face off against Oman in CAFA Nations Cup 2025

3. Vikram Partap vs Mahmood Al-Mushaifri

Vikram Partap appears to have won over Khalid Jamil’s with his dedicated performances for India in his set-up. He’s has been a regular the Cafa Nations Cup matches and is expected to be slotted into that role for the game against Oman as well.

However, the Mumbai City FC winger can expect to face a really stern test against experienced defender Mahmood Al-Mushaifri. The 32-year-old Oman full-back has started two matches in the right-back role for his side, producing some gritty performances with his admirable defensive attributes.

He’s been able to frustrate wingers with his game-reading ability and tendency to make crucial challenges to dispossess opposition players. That means Ashique needs to be brave and clever with how he operates in the opposition half. He needs to be unpredictable with his movement and try out different movement patterns to confuse the defender. Kuruniyan will need to be sharp with his output to help create stuff, but needs to be particularly innovative with his approach to help get the better of Mahmood and give that added edge to India’s attack.

2. Harib Al-Saadi vs Naorem Mahesh Singh

Harib Al-Saadi has been a dependable player in the Oman midfield set-up so far at the CAFA Nations Cup, helping them take the fight to their opposition. The Omani skipper is not letting his age wear him down, with the 35-year-old being able to showcase admirable energy in the midfield and also help protect his backline with his defensive qualities.

However, Harib might face a challenging task when he faces off against the vibrant Naorem Mahesh Singh in the upcoming third-place playoff. The East Bengal midfielder is a difficult man to mark because of his smart off-the-ball movement and ability to slip past markers with ease.

Mahesh will aim to be the driving force for India once again in this upcoming clash, getting the ball into the danger zones and creating big chances from the final third. Harib needs to use all his experience levels and game-reading ability to stop Mahesh from dictating things in his half.

He needs to be proactive in dispossessing Mahesh and frustrating him, but the Indian midfielder will look to use his innovative movement ability to get into the empty spaces and create major chances for his teammates.

1. Issam Al-Sabhi vs Anwar Ali

Issam Al-Sabhi has already been a major threat for Oman at the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup, as he’s scored two goals in three matches for them. He is likely to lead the line for the Reds in the upcoming game against India, as he aims to maintain his impressive form to torment the Blue Tigers backline.

The onus will be even more on Anwar Ali to produce a really sturdy defensive display and mark Al-Sabhi out of the game to give his side the upper hand. Anwar has been really impressive in the tournament so far and was even the Man of the Match in the draw against Afghanistan.

The East Bengal centre-back will need to use his impressive in-game IQ to track the movement of the Oman forward and not allow him to latch onto the ball in the key goal-scoring areas.

Al-Sabhi will look to torment Anwar and force him out of his comfort zone with his movement and physicality, and whoever wins this cat-and-mouse chase can provide a huge boost to their team’s chances of winning.

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