IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - INDIA WINS THE NINTH SAFF TITLE !
Picture : Sunil Chhetri won the title with India and was crowned as Best Goalscorer and Best Player of the Tournament.
Braveheart India edged pass Kuwait
Ninth SAFF title for India following Tie-Breaker thriller win
Kuwait 1 (4) (Shabaib Al-Khaldi 14')
lost to
India 1 (5) (Lallianzuala Chhangte 38')
Indian National football team, known as the Blue Tigers defeated Kuwait 5-4 on penalties, to claim the Bangabandhu SAFF Championship 2023 title in Garden City of Bengaluru, India.
In the summit clash of what was the biggest and most competitive SAFF Championship ever,, Indian goalkeeper - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s winning save etched India's ninth sub-continental title, adding another chapter to the nation's regional supremacy. The game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes; Shabaib Al-Khaldi had put Kuwait in front early on, and newly-crowned AIFF Player of the Year Lallianzuala Chhangte equalised later in the first half, with a sublime three touch Tiki Taka passing!
Following a cautious start,
Kuwait took the lead with a speedy and meticulously crafted move in the final third. Mobarak Al-Faneeni sprayed the ball to right-back Abdullah Al-Bloushi, whose cutback was slotted into the net by an unmarked Shabaib Al-Khaldi right outside the six-yard box.
Kutait players had shown a great charactor and resolve playing against the Indians who were backed by 26 thousand vocal supporters, the Blue Pilgrims! India did not lose hope and attempted equaliser in just a few minutes after conceding the opening goal.
Huge roars of "India! India!" pumped up the Blue Tigers and they leveled the game in 38th minute. If Kuwait's opener was a proper team effort, India bettered it with an even more silky smooth goal for the equaliser. After Ashique Kuruniyan was allowed time on the ball on the left, he picked out Sunil Chhetri, who in turn, spotted Sahal Abdul Samad's run into the box and played him through with a first-time pass. The midfielder laid it for Chhangte across the face of goal, who tapped it in with the gaping goal in front of him.
It was an end to end affaire in the second half. But, both the trams failed to strike a winning goal. Indian captain and legendary scorer Sunil Chhetri missed few crosses, while Kuwait too couldn't capitalised few free kicks right at the closing minutes.
Semi-final hero Gurpreet came to India's rescue again in the dying minutes of the second half, diving low at his near post to push out Abdullah's right-footed shot.
Extra time too went off goalless and penalty shoot out was inevitable to decide the final.
Penalty Shootout Thriller
It came down to the dreaded penalty shootout in the end, the second in a row for India in the 2023 SAFF Championship, after having defeated Lebanon from the 12-yard spot.
Chhetri, Jhingan, Chhangte, and Subhasish scored for India, while Al-Otaibi, Al-Dhefeery, Mahran, and Al-Khaldi netted their respective penalties for Kuwait.
For India, Udanta was the only unsuccessful penalty taker, sending his spot-kick over the cross-bar, while Abdullah hit the woodwork from his kick for Kuwait.
Blue Tigers goalkeeper Gurpreet was the hero of the night, as he saved the last penalty of the SAFF Championship final by Kuwait captain Haijah, to win India their ninth title.
Notable Achievements -
- With this Bangabandhu SAFF Championship 2023 win, Croatian Igor Stimac becomes the first foreign head coach to win back-to-back SAFF Championship titles.
- This was also the first time that India defeated two West Asian countries in back-to-back matches, after winning the semi-final against Lebanon, also on penalties.
- Standing coach Mahesh Gawali became the first footballer to win SAFF twice as a player and once as a coach.
AIFF President Mr. Kalyan Chaubey presented the winners' trophy to India.
H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Thani President of Qatar Football & President of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) was the Honourable Guest for SAFF Final Match.
The awards for the night
Fair play award - Nepal
Best goalkeeper of the competition - Anisur Rahman Zico - Bangladesh
Highest Goalscorer award - Sunil Chhetri
Most valuable player of the competition - Sunil Chhetri