New Delhi, September 9 (HS): The Indian men’s football team created history on Monday by defeating Oman 3-2 in a penalty shootout to secure third place at the CAFA Nations Cup 2025. The playoff match was held at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan.

This is the first time India have beaten the higher-ranked West Asian side, marking a significant milestone in the team’s progression.

In regulation time, the contest ended 1-1, with Udanta Singh scoring the equalizer for India. With the deadlock unbroken, the match went into penalties, where Oman missed their first two attempts. India’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu produced the decisive save on Oman’s final spot-kick to seal the win.

For India, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahul Bheke, and Jithin MS converted from the spot, while Anwar Ali and Udanta Singh missed their chances.

Both teams had finished second in their respective groups, setting up the third-place playoff. Historically, Oman has dominated this fixture—winning six of the nine meetings since 2000. Their last encounter was in March 2021, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar