CAFA Nations Cup: 'Hard work and belief' has carried India into play-off, says Jamil

New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) It may be India’s maiden appearance in the CAFA Nations Cup, but the men’s national football team, the second-lowest-ranked team in the competition, are all set to play the third-place match against Oman at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on Monday.

Having played three matches, India have won one (Tajikistan), lost one (Iran), and drawn one (Afghanistan), knocking out Tajikistan and Afghanistan on the way. Blue Tigers head coach Khalid Jamil, at the pre-match press conference, exuded the positivity that surrounds the team at the moment.

“All our players are fine and are all positive after these results. We must continue this positivity into the next game. I have a good feeling that we could get a positive result,” said Jamil. “We felt from the very start that we could do something good here, and I must say that it is the belief and hard work of the players that have brought us to the CAFA Nations Cup play-off stage.

“The commitment that the players showed was amazing – be it seniors or juniors, everyone contributed. The way they adapted to the conditions was commendable. I never felt like we were here to just participate – we came with a purpose, and the feeling was always positive,” he said.

While Jamil has surrounded the Blue Tigers camp with an air of positivity, the India head coach is wary of the potential threat that 79th-ranked Oman possesses; India are 133rd in the FIFA rankings.

“Oman are a very good team. They have a good coach (Carlos Queiroz) and quality players, and they’ve done well in their group. It will definitely not be easy, and we’ll have to fight for everything. But we are ready for it,” he said.

India have faced Oman on 10 occasions, though the Blue Tigers are yet to win a match against the latter. The Reds have won seven of these matches, while three have ended in draws.

Despite the past record, Jamil is looking for a win. He said, “First and foremost, we must get a result – that’s the most important thing.”

India have scored two goals (both in a 2-1 victory against hosts Tajikistan), and both have come from set-pieces. While Jamil’s men are working on increasing their scoring propensities, the India head coach, is more intent on putting in a good performance as a unit.

“It does not matter how you score, as long as you do well. Sometimes, you score from open play, while on other occasions, you score from set-pieces – it’s all a part of the game. what matters at the end of the day is that you get the results,” he said.

“Of course there’s focus on scoring from open play too. We will keep trying until we succeed. We’ve created a lot of chances, but I still feel they are not enough,” he said. “We need to create more and convert them.”

India are preparing for the two AFC Asian Cup 2027 Group C Qualifier matches against Singapore (October 9 and 14) next month, though the head coach feels that it is important for the Blue Tigers to focus on one game at a time.

"I’ve believed from the beginning that participation in the CAFA Nations Cup was a very good decision. The more matches we play, the better we get. It’s a great opportunity to prepare and build the team further,” he said. “But right now, we are only thinking of the Oman gamne."

Blue Tigers defender Boris Singh Thangjam, at the press conference, stressed on the players’ recovery over the last three days, since their goalles draw against Afghanistan.

"I think Oman are a very competitive side, but we know what we have to do. We’ve been preparing for the last three days, and everyone has recovered very well. We hope to give our best," said Boris.

--IANS

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