Brilliant Indians Win SAFF Championship
Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
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By Slogger
First publised on 2023-07-08 06:44:51
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Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
View all posts by this Author
It was an amazing Indian football team (sans a head coach, as Igor Stimac has been suspended) that showed excellent temperament, uncharacteristic grit and fighting qualities to win the SAFF championship by beating Kuwait in an exciting match in the final.
The two teams were equally matched and regulation time yielded a result of 1-1. It was in the tie-breaker and then sudden death that the Indian team showed nerves of steel and a determination to win not usually found. Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was brilliant under the bar and saved the last shot by Kuwaiti skipper Khaled Hajiah to give India a win. This was India's third title this season as they had previously won the tri-nations trophy and the Intercontinental Cup.
For the first fifteen minutes it seemed as if the Kuwaitis would run away with the match. They were playing to a plan and had maximum possession. The Indian midfield and defence was looking suspect. The visitors opened the strike in the 15th minute with a coordinated strike by Mobarak Al Faneeni, Abdullah Al Boushi and Shabaib Al Khaidi with the last named giving Sandhu no chance to save the shot.
But then the Indians got their act together after that. In a brilliant move, Chhetri passed on to Samad who squared the ball to better placed Chhangte who made no mistake to make it 1-1 in the 38th minute. Both teams had their chances after that but failed to convert them.
In the shootout, Chettri, Sandesh, Chhangte, Subhasis and Mahesh scored for India while Udanta missed out.
It was an excellent win for the Indians and will boost their confidence. AIFF must sort out the head coach issue fast as this team can perform even better with a full time head coach and a plan of action.
