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After an arduous 120 minutes of action against Lebanon, India emerged victorious in the SAFF Championship 2023 semi-final 2-4 on penalties thanks to the heroics of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu between the sticks. The two missed spot-kicks from the Cedars' set up a second date for the Blue Tigers with Kuwait on Tuesday.
When the two sides locked horns in their final group-stage clash, Kuwait salvaged a 1-1 draw with a last-gasp equalizer coming through an own goal from Anwar Ali.
The stalemate pushed Kuwait to the top of the standings in Group A and they faced Bangladesh in their semi-final fixture. The tie wasn't as one-sided as many had expected it to be as the Bengal Tigers stopped Kuwait from breaching their defense until the 105th minute of extra-time.
As shown in the previous clash, for India, this will be one of their sternest clashes in recent months. Head coach Igor Stimac had previously stressed that "Kuwait's ranking is underestimated" as they had some notable results against strong Asian outfits.
But here are three reasons why India are still the favorites to pip Kuwait in the SAFF Championship 2023 final and win the title:
#1 India's defensive resilience will be a stern test for Kuwait
Under head coach Igor Stimac, the Blue Tigers have transformed into a formidable defensive unit.
Before conceding in the group-stage match against Kuwait, India had accumulated eight straight clean sheets. They were on track to break the country's record for most clean sheets in a row, however, the unfortunate own goal from Anwar Ali squashed those aspirations.
But India are without an iota of doubt a well-marshaled unit in the defensive phases. The return of Sandesh Jhingan, who was suspended for the semi-final, will be an added boost for the hosts.
Expect the nerviness they showed against Lebanon in the initial phases to drift away, once the first-choice defenders return to the starting lineup.
Even if Kuwait get past the defenders on some rare occasion, there will be either Gurpreet Singh Sandhu or Amrinder Singh, both of whom have been in fine form, to pull down the shutter on their goalscoring hopes.
#2 The Sunil Chhetri effect
Reasoning, logic, and numbers, everything has been disqualified by Sunil Chhetri throughout his footballing journey.
Even when it made no sense, the talisman has risen to the top with outlandish brilliance. You think he's 38, well past his prime, and his steps might be getting heavy, yet, Chhetri turns around and delivers on the grandest occasions, consistently.
The Bengaluru FC marksman has already scored five goals in the SAFF Championship, including a sublime side volley against Kuwait. Although the Blue Wave will put extra effort into marking the Indian skipper, you can never write him off.
#3 A roaring Sree Kanteerava Stadium
Against Lebanon, the roaring crowd of 19,640 felt at least three times more. You could see the jeers and cheers entrapping the opposition players when they stood up to take the spot-kicks. There was nervousness in their steps.
The Sree Kanteerava, 'Fortress' as the Bengaluru FC fans call it, has produced a stellar atmosphere all throughout the tournament. The tickets for the finals almost sold out within two hours of their release and one can expect the noise to be amplified multifold.
The Kuwait players will have a tough time not just with navigating all the hurdles on the pitch but also finding their own amidst the deafening noise.
