Jamil breathes fresh life into gasping Indian football with bronze at CAFA Nations Cup

Panaji: Even before India had a coach in place, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) grabbed the chance to play at the CAFA Nations Cup after Malaysia pulled out of the tournament citing logistical challenges.
The Central Asia Football Association (CAFA) comprises Iran, Uzbekistan -- both of whom have qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 -- besides Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. For this year's regional championship, the organisers invited India and Oman.
India agreed, quickly paid the fees too. At the least, they would get three games against quality opposition.
The decision paid off as India won bronze on debut, defeating Oman 3-2 (1-1) on penalties at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan on Monday. This was India’s first win against the West Asian side in over three decades and a huge success for Khalid Jamil in his first assignment as the national team coach.
“I give all the credit to the boys,” said Jamil. “When we came here, the players talked about the need to work hard, and what we saw (on the field) is the unity of the players. The players were confident, they believed in themselves, and worked as a team. They helped each other.”
When Jamil was selected to succeed Manolo Marquez, not everyone was convinced that he was the best man for the job. The 48-year-old has 15 years’ experience in domestic football, yet his best performances have been when he’s tasked with guiding a lesser-known, lower-budget team. Think of Mumbai FC’s survival, Aizawl’s fairytale triumph in the I-League, or the semifinal appearances of NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC in the ISL, all against the odds.
His approach too has never been flashy; no tiki-taka nonsense or keeping the ball for useless square passes.
In Tajikistan, it was the real Jamil that showed up. India had the lowest ball possession: 35% vs Tajikistan, 23% vs Iran, 40% vs Afghanistan and 29% vs Oman, yet goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was rarely tested. The team didn’t lose shape, was comfortable with a low block, and as expected, the central midfielders, even wingers, were always on hand to support the defence.
Jamil erred with a tactical change against Iran that led to the opening goal, and he was quick to acknowledge his mistake.
Having left Sunil Chhetri at home to try out new players, the challenge was always going to be upfront. Irfan Yadwad, the first choice, was disappointing. Whoever else Jamil fielded -- Vikram Partap Singh, Ashique Kuruniyan, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Naorem Mahesh -- made poor decisions with the ball at their feet and the goal ahead of them.
All this will be forgotten. India, after all, won against hosts Tajikistan (2-1), put up a decent show against Iran, and surprised 79th ranked Oman to end their campaign on a happy note.
“As a team, we discussed if we are here to merely participate or are we going to push for something that we can all remember in our lives,” said captain Sandhu. “The tough competition tested us; we won, we failed, and we learnt. We move on. Heads down, because the jobs not finished.”

What worked in Tajikistan may not always turn out to be a successful plan.

At the all-important AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, India is the highest ranked team and will be forced to have more of the ball. If they play terribly, like they did against Afghanistan, they will remain winless in the group and get knocked out. But if Jamil can somehow spark a change, Indian football will have plenty to cheer.