Menezes, Ishfaq hail Khalid, Gurpreet after CAFA Nations Cup history: ‘Exciting times ahead for Indian football’; ‘We look fit and hungry’

Former Indian footballer Henry Menezes and India Under-17 coach Ishfaq Ahmed hailed coach Kahlid Jamil’s ‘man-management’ skills and star goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s ’leadership’ as the Indian football team scripted history on Monday with its first-ever win over Oman in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025.

The Blue Tigers secured a come-from-behind victory against a higher-ranked Oman in Hisor, Tajikistan, to clinch the bronze medal on their CAFA Nations Cup debut. Jameel Al-Yahmadi gave 79th-ranked Omanis the 1-0 lead in the 55th minute of the third-place match, but Udanta Singh’s equaliser in the 81st minute forced the game into the shootout, which India won 3-2 with Gurpreet saving the final spot-kick by Al-Yahmadi.

It’s an incredible achievement for the Blue Tigers, who earlier this year slipped to 133rd in the rankings, their worst since 2016, but have experienced an unexpected resurgence since the appointment of Indian coach Khalid Jamil last month and the return of Gurpreet to the team.

India began their CAFA Nations Cup campaign by beating higher-ranked Tajikistan and ended it on an even higher note, just a month before the crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Singapore in October.

Former All India Football Federation (AIFF) Technical Committee member and goalkeeper, Menezes, said that the third-place finish in the eight-team CAFA Nations Cup, where the Blue Tigers were the second-lowest ranked side, is a result of the team’s ’newfound’ belief under coach Khalid Jamil

“India’s third-place finish in the CAFA is indeed a testament to the team’s growing strength under coach Khalid’s leadership,” Menezes told Firstpost. “The team’s newfound confidence and belief in ‘We can Win’ could be the key to the future. Looks like it’s exciting times ahead for Indian football.

Former midfielder Ishfaq Ahmed, who has seen Khalid’s coaching from close quarters as the former Kerala Blasters assistant coach, also praised the ability of the tactician to create a strong team spirit and get the best out of the new players.

“Fantastic man-management skills by coach Khalid Jamil. He has given new life to Gurpreet and then handing over the team captaincy made him believe that he is good enough to lead this team and he has not disappointed him and the entire nation,” Real Kashmir coach Ahmed told Firstpost.

“He did the same with new players, gave them confidence and you can clearly see that they have fantastic team spirit and I’m sure going forward he will be working more on other departments also. Fantastic win, we look fit and hungry.”

Menezes added that 33-year-old Gurpreet’s return to the national team and his form played a major role in India’s memorable campaign, with the veteran’s experience and leadership adding an extra dimension to the side’s strength.

Remember the name Gurpreet Singh Sandhu💪🏻

Gurpreet Paaji The Wall 🇮🇳 won us the bronze medal in CAFA Nations Cup😭#CAFANationsCup2025 #INDOMA #indianfootball https://t.co/StkYRnzcI4 pic.twitter.com/vsMkiMcFat

— Bruce Wayne (@_Bruce__007) September 8, 2025

“Gurpreet’s resurgence as a dependable goalkeeper has been a significant factor in their success…,” he added. “Experience certainly plays a crucial role in goalkeeping, and his leadership on the field is invaluable.”

As a result of a historic CAFA Nations Cup campaign, Indian are expected to rise in the FIFA rankings when the next update is processed at the end of the ongoing international break.