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Following their nail-biting victory against Lebanon in the semi-finals of the 2023 SAFF Championship, India will take on a familiar opponent in Kuwait in the final on Tuesday, July 4.
Similar to India, Kuwait's semi-final tie against Bangladesh also proceeded to extra time, but Abdullah Ammar’s goal in the 106th minute separated the sides and booked their place in the finals of the competition.
Despite Kuwait's underwhelming FIFA ranking (143rd), their recent performances have exhibited remarkable improvement, having remained undefeated in their past six matches.
Moreover, they achieved an unexpected victory over the 72nd-ranked UAE and secured a draw against 86th-ranked Bahrain before participating in the SAFF Championship.
India and Kuwait faced each other in the group stage of the competition, with the game ending in a 1-1 stalemate. Sunil Chhetri’s first-half goal was nullified by Anwar Ali’s unfortunate own goal in stoppage time, which necessarily allowed Kuwait to top Group A at India’s expense.
Although the Blue Tigers largely dominated the game, Kuwait had had a fair share of moments, with Amrinder Singh forced to make three crucial saves to keep the scores level. The final is expected to be another tight affair, as Kuwait could pose a significant threat and prevent the hosts from lifting the SAFF Championship title.
On that note, let’s look at the three reasons why the Blue Wave could prove to be the tougher opponent in the final.
#1 Resilient defense
Kuwait's attack has grabbed the spotlight in the SAFF Championship, but their defense has been equally impressive. Led by the 30-year-old Khaled Ebrahim Hajiah, the Blue Wave have only conceded twice throughout the tournament, effectively limiting the opposition's attacking opportunities.
Despite Sunil Chhetri managing to score against Kuwait, he faced difficulties during open play as he was tightly marked, leaving him little space to exploit the space behind or within the penalty box. Chhetri's sole shot in the game happened to be India's only shot on target as well.
Furthermore, the Blue Wave are strong in winning duels, as displayed by their performance in the semifinals against Bangladesh. They won 64 percent of their duels, compared to Bangladesh's 36 percent, and also dominated in aerial duels, winning 75 percent of them.
Given Kuwait's aggressive approach, India will face a challenging task in achieving midfield superiority.
#2 Counter-attacking threat
Kuwait's attacking prowess has become a major talking point in the SAFF Championship, presenting India with their most formidable challenge.
With an impressive tally of nine goals, they are currently the tournament’s top scorers. Their ability to exploit the wide areas, courtesy of the blistering pace of their wingers, poses a significant threat.
The trio of Mubarak Al Faneni, Eid Al Rasheedi, and Shabaib Al Khadli stand out as Kuwait's most potent attacking players. Their seamless combination play in the SAFF Championship has proven problematic for opponents, primarily due to their pace and movement.
While the Blue Wave typically prefer a possession-based approach with patient build-up, they may adapt to a counter-attacking ploy against India. India has displayed a tendency to lose possession cheaply in midfield, as evident in their match against Lebanon.
Kuwait will aim to capitalize on this weakness by utilizing the pace of their front three and will look for opportunities to break forward on the counter.
#3 Fatigue
Lastly, the element of fatigue may come into play for both teams, although it could potentially affect India more significantly. India endured a difficult 120 minutes of play and the subsequent penalty shootout in their previous match.
The Blue Tigers have been competing every three days over the past month, with coach Stimac favoring a core group of players who have featured in almost all of the games.
Assistant coach Mahesh Gawli also acknowledged the team's fatigue as a contributing factor to their struggles against Lebanon. Notably, captain Chhetri has been heavily involved in nearly every game throughout the past month, and the toll seemed to have caught up with him despite his goal-scoring exploits.
Kuwait will aim to exploit this and capitalize on it in the latter stages of the game, similar to their previous match. If the final extend into extra time, the Blue Wave could certainly hold an advantage over India.
