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India won their seventh SAFF Cup after beating Afghanistan 2-1 in the finalAfter 11 days of South Asian footballing jamboree, Elvis has left the building. The 2015 SAFF Suzuki Cup concluded with hosts India reclaiming the bragging rights in the region after a slender 2-1 win over defending champions Afghanistan in 120 minutes of a gruelling encounter in Thiruvananthapuram.Over the course of last two weeks, the competition witnessed a gamut of thrills and spills. Last-gasp goals, some near misses, wonderful strikes et al. And there were a few players who shone bright and lit up the tournament with their flair.Here are the top 5 players from the 2015 SAFF Suzuki Cup.
#5 Ali Ashfaq - Maldives
2008 champions Maldives looked like one of the favourites of the competition after the way they dispatched Bangladesh and Bhutan in the first two games. But their downing at the hands of Afghanistan and then India in the semi-finals suggested that it was a mere false dawn.
In an otherwise fair-to-middling campaign, veteran striker Ali Ashfaq shone for his side and had a memorable SAFF swansong. The “Dhagandey” (his moniker) was an able torch-bearer for The Red Snappers up front and added two more goals to his already glittering goal tally in the competition.
Whether it was laying things on the plate for his teammates or taking the game to the opposite team himself, Ashfaq cut a formidable figure going forward and Maldives wouldn't have made it so far without his services.
The 30-year-old is set to finish his international career when the 2018 World Cup qualification round ends, but will certainly bow out with his head held high.
#4 Masih Saighani - Afghanistan
Whilst Khaibar Amani and Faysal Shayesteh stole all the limelight amid Afghanistan’s dazzling displays, Masih Saighani too had a huge hand in his side’s highly successful outing. The midfielder struck twice in four appearances and was always in the thick of the things.
The 29-year-old was on target in the opening two games against Bangladesh and Bhutan, but essayed a more creative role as the competition progressed. Saighani provided a strong base for the Aghan midfield, allowing the likes of Shayesteh and Hatifi to surge forward. He was also seen getting involved in the attack on a few occasions to provide an extra edge.
Saighani ran out of his contract with the club TSV Steinbach just days before the tournament and is currently a free agent. However, his performance with the Afghan Lions in the SAFF Cup may help him garner a few suitors from the lower strata of European football again.
#3 Jeje Lalpekhlua - India
The Indian no.12 was quite subdued in the group stages, but came to the fore in the knockout rounds with three goals to prove his worth. The mantle had fallen on the shoulders of Jeje and Sunil Chhetri after Robin Singh picked up an injury that ruled him out of the tournament, and the duo did a commendable job.
Jeje struck a brace in the semi-final in a nervy 3-2 win over Maldives and followed that up with an all-important equaliser against Afghanistan in the final. He was at the right place at the right time to prod home the leveller that set India on their way to the victory.
He may have been a late bloomer in the competition for the Blue Tigers, but was ever present in the team and did not disappoint whenever he was called into action.
#2 Khaibar Amani - Afghanistan
The Lions of Khorasan had a whopper of a campaign, blowing their rivals out of water. They accrued a staggering total of 17 goals in 4 games played and were just unlucky to miss out on the trophy. At the heart of all their exploits was the strapping striker Khaibar Amani, who weighed in with four goals to become the top scorer of the 2015 SAFF Cup.
Plying his trade with Hessen Dreieich in Germany’s fifth tier of football league system, Amani’s experienced legs brought a sense of verve to the Afghan attack that punched holes in the defences and scored left, right and centre.
His good positioning and clinical finishing was vital for the 2013 champions in outscoring their rivals, and will be just as vital to Afghanistan’s fortunes when they move to the Central Asian Association later this year.
#1 Sunil Chhetri - India
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. With the final heavily poised, Indian football’s most prolific player Sunil Chhetri won it for the Blue Tigers in extra time and also took home the Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament.
The Bengaluru FC striker took some time to find his footing in the competition, but eventually ended up with 3 goals and played an instrumental part in India’s seventh triumph in the competition. Coming on the back of a mediocre outing in the Indian Super League with Mumbai City FC, Chhetri was under the cosh to step up a gear and deliver for his national side.
After a sloppy start to the campaign, the 31-year-old really did step up to the plate and guided The Blue Tigers to SAFF glory with a goal and assist in the final.
