The Indian football team extended its brilliant record at the SAFF Championships with a win over Kuwait in the final of the 2023 edition of the tournament at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The two finalists were inseparable after the conclusion of the regulation 90 minutes and that did not change with the extra time being played. The game was set to be decided on a penalty shootout and the Blue Tigers managed to hold their nerve and come out on top.
After the 5 designated penalties, the scoreline remained level at 4-4. And as the game went into sudden death, India’s Mahesh Singh netted his spot kick to give the home team the advantage, before Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu rose to the occasion.
The 31-year-old custodian managed to palm away Khaled Hajiah’s effort to give India the title win and sent the passionate crowd in Bengaluru into a frenzy.
GURPREET SINGH SANDHU????????????You beauty????????WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS????????????#INDKUW #SAFFChampionship2023 #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/KEoFVzN8Yq— BumbleBee 軸 (@itsMK_02) July 4, 2023
India displayed consistency and character throughout the tournament as they went unbeaten for the entirety of the event in Bengaluru.
India started the campaign with a morale-boosting 4-0 thumping of neighbours and heated rivals Pakistan as skipper Sunil Chhetri netted a hattrick.
The Blue Tigers continued their fine form against Nepal as they cruised to a 2-0 win thanks to strikes from Chhetri and Mahesh. India finished off their group stage games with a heated 1-1 draw against Kuwait, in which Indian head coach Igor Stimac was shown a red- his second in two games after his sending-off against Pakistan.
Stimac was handed a two-game ban for his second red card offence and could not be present in the technical area for the semifinals and the finals.
Indian edged out Lebanon on penalties in the final-four matchup to seal a passage into the final against Kuwait.
India trailed early after Shabib Al Khaldi’s 14th-minute strike for the visitors, but Lallianzuala Chhangte levelled the proceeding in the 38th minute before the Blue Tigers emerged victorious on penalties.-
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