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After a victorious campaign in Intercontinental Cup 2023, the Indian men's national team are set to quickly shift their focus to the upcoming SAFF Championship challenge.
The Blue Tigers breezed past the group stage in the Intercontinental Cup, registering two victories and a lone draw. They opened the competition with a 2-0 victory over Mongolia, with Sahal Abdul Samad and Lallianzuala Chhangte bagging a goal each.
The second match against a resilient Vanuatu outfit was more of a challenge, however, a sublime volley from skipper Sunil Chhetri late in the second half was enough to see off the visitors.
With both India and Lebanon already securing a berth in the finale before the kick-off of the third group-stage tie, it was just a mere prelude to the showpiece event. Both sides settled for a 0-0 stalemate at the end of 90 minutes before locking horns in the grand final three days later.
Although Igor Stimac's men had a lackluster showing in the first half, the hosts came out rejuvenated after receiving an earful from the gaffer. Chhetri put India ahead with a crucial strike in the 46th minute, while Chhangte doubled their lead later in the game. Despite a couple of half chances, the Cedars couldn't claw back into the game.
However, their campaign in Bhubaneswar is now a thing of the past and the SAFF competition will be another crucial challenge in the preparation for the all-important AFC Asian Cup early next year.
India have won the SAFF Championship on eight occasions, six more than any other team. They will also arrive in the tournament as the reigning champions, having secured the trophy in 2021. The hosts will kick off their campaign with a feisty clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 21.
India's fixture in the SAFF Championship 2023
June 21: India vs Pakistan, 7.30 pm IST.
June 24: Nepal vs India, 7.30 pm IST.
June 27: India vs Kuwait, 7.30 pm IST.
July 1: Semi-final 1 (Champion Group A vs Runner-up Group B) & Semi-final 2 (Champion Group B vs Runner-up Group A).
July 4: Final.
All the matches will be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
A look at India's opponents in the SAFF Championship 2023
The Blue Tigers, who were placed in Pot 1, have been drawn alongside Kuwait, Nepal, and Pakistan in Group A.
Pakistan: The Pakistani Falcons missed out on the last SAFF Championship tournament due to their FIFA ban. However, now that they're back into the mix, they'll be eager to prove their mettle.
Coming into the competition, the side had a poor showing in the four Nation Cup tournament in Mauritius where they ended up on the losing side in all three matches.
Nepal: The 174-ranked side finished runner-up behind India in the 2021 edition of the tournament. Their head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese is a known figure in Indian football, having recently managed ISL outfit NorthEast United FC.
Recently, the Gorkhalis won the Prime Ministers’ Three Nations Cup held in the last week of March, defeating Laos 2-1 in the final. But they suffered a defeat against Phillippines in a friendly in June.
Kuwait: The Blue Wave, ranked 143rd in the world currently, haven’t lost a game since their game against Qatar in the Gulf Cup in January, where they lost 2-0. Very recently Kuwait defeated Zambia 3-0 in a group-stage match of the same competition.
India's squad for the SAFF Championship 2023
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, and Gurmeet Singh.
Defenders: Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh, and Rahul Bheke.
Midfielders: Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Rohit Kumar, Udanta Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Jeakson Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lalengmawia Ralte, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rowllin Borges, and Nandhakumar Sekar.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, and Rahim Ali.
Head Coach: Igor Stimac.
Telecast and streaming details of the SAFF Championship 2023
Live streaming of the SAFF Championship 2023 football tournament will be available on FanCode app on a subscription basis. However, the live telecast of the SAFF Championship in India is yet to be confirmed.
