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India defeated Lebanon 4-2 in the penalty shootout of the second semi-final of the SAFF Championship 2023 in Bangalore on Saturday, July 1.
India qualified for the semi-finals having finished second in group A while Lebanon qualified after topping group B.
India came into the game being the favourites, given they beat Lebanon to win the Intercontinental Cup, and were also placed higher in the FIFA Rankings. The Blue Tigers came into the game being placed 100th in the FIFA Rankings while Lebanon were placed 102nd.
It was an important game not just in regard to the SAFF Championship but also due to its potential impact on the groups for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
The match started with Lebanon having a better start as they tried to score an early goal. The Blue Tigers were trying to find their feet in the initial moments of the game.
Jeakson Singh had a brilliant chance to give the Blue Tigers the lead in the 16th minute, but he tried to play the ball to Sahal from a handshaking distance and got his pass intercepted. Had Jeakson gone for a goal himself, he could have scored. Both sides had chances to score in the first half but failed to do so. The scoreboard at halftime read 0-0.
The second half had more of the same as both sides created chances, but failed to utilize them. The scoreboard at full-time read 0-0. The game moved into extra time.
In extra time, India had a few good chances to win the game. The most notable opportunity fell to Sunil Chhetri in the first half of extra time, but the legendary striker failed to convert the cross from Udanta Singh.
The second half of extra time saw more of the same and neither team managed to break the deadlock. The game moved into penalties.
Hassan Maatouk's shot was saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, while Khalil Bader's strike went above the bar. For the Blue Tigers, Sunil Chhetri, Anwar Ali, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Udanta Singh converted from the spot to secure India's spot in the SAFF Championship 2023 final.
On that note, let's take a look at three things we learned from this exciting game:
#3 India defeat Lebanon again, this time with contrasting approach
India again managed to put one past Lebanon, this time in the SAFF Championship 2023 semi-finals. Despite winning it through a penalty shootout, India will be pleased with the way they went about things. They were without Sandesh Jhingan and had to play without head coach Igor Stimac on the sidelines.
The Blue Tigers have now managed to beat Lebanon twice, in back-to-back encounters, and that too with different systems and approaches.
In this match, Stimac's side played Pritam Kotal, Mehtab Singh, Anwar Ali, and Subhasish Bose in defense. The midfield had the trio of Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, and Sahal Abdul Samad. The wings consisted of Ashique Kuruniyan and Lalianzuala Chhangte. Sunil Chhetri was the striker upfront, with Gurpreet in goal.
The exclusion of Naorem Mahesh Singh, Akash Mishra and Nikhil Poojari from the starting XI did raise some eyebrows.
All in all, India did manage to get past Lebanon with two different approaches and styles of football. The clean sheet will be something that will be a high point of the match, especially when playing without Sandesh Jhingan.
#2 Too much experimentation hampers India's gameplay?
Igor Stimac had made it clear that he was going to experiment during the Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship. In the semi-final on Saturday too, Stimac's side fielded a different XI compared to their last game against Kuwait.
In the first half, the Blue Tigers did look a bit shaky and despite having a glorious opportunity to score, they failed to do so.
In the second half, the Blue Tigers' assistant coach Mahesh Gawli made some crucial changes. He introduced the likes of Mahesh Singh, Akash Mishra, Nikhil Poojari, Udanta Singh, and Rohit Kumar, which helped India create more chances and put pressure on Lebanon.
The fans and critics will hope that leading up to the Asian Cup, Igor Stimac has a set XI ready and they get enough games together to gel as a unit.
#1 Igor Stimac's strategic approach seems vindicated for the moment
With this victory against Lebanon, the Blue Tigers secured their place in the final of the SAFF Championship 2023. This victory also secured a spot in Pot 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers seeding. The move into Pot 2 will definitely help India get a better group.
Igor Stimac was questioned a lot during his initial days, but as the Asian Cup draws closer, he has been able to convince more people that he knows what he is doing.
A major change in this side has been the reduced use of long balls. The Blue Tigers like to build up from the back and use their midfield more than before. Another notable change has been their high press approach to games that the side has adapted.
Igor Stimac will hope that his side can implement his ideas during the upcoming Kings Cup and FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (later this year).
