India vs Oman: Three players who impressed in the CAFA Nations Cup third place match

India finished third in the CAFA Nations Cup after defeating Oman 1(3)-1(2).

The Indian National Football Team defeated the 79th-ranked Oman National Football Team in the third-place match of the CAFA Nations Cup to script history that will be remembered by every Indian fan for generations ahead. The Blue Tigers displayed tactical brilliance and resilience under Khalid Jamil to make a comeback and outperform the Omani side in the penalties.

India demonstrated a positive intent throughout the first half and kept knocking on the opponent’s doors and piled pressure upon them with consistent and coordinated pressing. Even though the half did not see any goals for either side, this really helped to bring momentum to the Blue Tigers and fill them with positive intent and confidence.

In the second half, however, Oman broke the deadlock capitalising on a lazy effort from India. But since then, the men in blue became desperate and caused serious trouble for the opponents.

Udanta Singh finally registered the equaliser for India after clinically heading in a throw-in from Bheke, which was lofted and assisted by Danish. This took the match to extra time and later to penalties, and with the brilliance of Chhangte, Rahul Bheke, Jithin MS, and Gurpreet, India edged past the Al-Ahmars 1(3)-1(2).

All the Blue Tigers played their heart out and put in an immense workload to script this famous victory away from home. However, there were a few players who stepped up, turned the tables, and changed the tides of the game. Here are the top three players from the India vs Oman CAFA Nations Cup third-place match.

Also Read: Player Ratings: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Danish impress; while Mahesh, Irfan disappoint

3. Anwar Ali

Anwar Ali was as solid as a rock at the centre of the Indian backline, shutting down and neutralising Oman’s attacking moves consistently. In the absence of Jhingan, he read the ball extremely well, made key interceptions and important clearances to keep the opponents away from advancing into the Indian defensive third.

His distribution out of the back was also excellent, as he distributed some good balls to set up swift counter-attacks and ease pressure.

Apart from his defensive contributions, Anwar was a potent threat in attack, displaying no hesitation to venture forward into the final third and test the keeper. He was a threat during set-pieces, towering over the Oman keeper with some powerful headed efforts and even coming very close to scoring.

Later, in the extra time, Anwar’s attacking intent was evident as he won room and had some strong attempts on goal, creating a clear chance and testing the 10-man Omani defence. Though he missed the penalty, his performance in the game and during the tournament was nothing short of exceptional.

2. Danish Farooq

Danish Farooq’s performance in the match was a tale of two halves. He had a below-par first half, as he kept gifting fouls in the midfield continuously and made some very bad judgments. His inability to clear the ball at crucial moments and the cheap gifting of possession created some worrying situations for the Blue Tigers and indirectly led to Al-Ahmar’s scoring their first goal.

But after the break, a completely new Danish was seen on the pitch, desperate to make up for his previous mistakes. He understood the game with increased awareness, making solid runs and placing himself optimally. His hard work was rewarded in the 80th minute when he was in the right place at the right time to send a precisely weighted ball over to Udanta Singh, creating the vital equalizer.

His creative moves were again on show as he won a foul off Busaidi, which resulted in the opposing player being booked with a red card and being sent off, leaving India with a vital man advantage. His capacity to break past his early setbacks and make such an immense contribution in the second half proved his determination and vital role in winning the match.

1. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was a dominant and tall figure for India in the goal, demonstrating his authority and control throughout the game. He made some confident, solid claims on crosses coming in and made great distributions that set up the Blue Tigers’ attacking initiatives.

The keeper was defensively alert, and he stepped off his line at the exact right moment to clear away the potential threats. The presence of mind of Gurpreet was amply displayed, with him in the right position to hold his hands up to deny almost every Oman attempt on the Indian goal.

His defining moment came during the penalty shootout. Gurpreet had little to do in the first two penalty kicks, as pressure appeared to get to the opponents, who could not place their shots on target. Although he was beaten by two successive penalties, he did not lose concentration.

In the defining moment, weighing the game on his shoulders, he perfectly read the last penalty, dived to his right, and made a stunning, full-out save that not only kept the ball out of the net but also decided the third-place win for the Blue Tigers in the CAFA Nations Cup. His performance under pressure is a testament to why he has to be a regular call-up for India under Khalid Jamil.

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