"Nobody gives you anything in football" - Kuwait head coach Rui Bento praises his team while previewing SAFF Championship 2023 final vs. India

Kuwait head coach Rui Bento has lauded the hard work put in by his team to make the SAFF Championship 2023 final against India. The two teams will lock horns in the summit clash on Tuesday, July 4, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Blue Wave finished atop Group A of the tournament, edging India on goals scored after both teams collected two wins and a draw. They then defeated Group B runners-up Bangladesh 1-0 after extra-time in the semifinals to set up a clash against the Blue Tigers, who beat Lebanon on penalties in the last four.

At his pre-match press conference, Bento was asked if he believes the two best teams in the tournament made the final. He responded by saying:

"It's not important. For you to come to the final, you need a good performance in league games. Nobody gives you anything in football. We fought to get to the final and now, our focus is to try and play well."

Bento added that he expects an even contest on Tuesday, just like their group-stage clash in this tournament, which ended 1-1.

"We played a competitive game against India and I hope for the same [again]. It's one final. I think the two teams will give their best and I hope it'll be a good game tomorrow," Bento said.

In the aforementioned Group A clash, Sunil Chhetri scored for India on the stroke of half-time. However, some late drama led to an Anwar Ali own-goal which restored parity for Kuwait. The heated contest saw a player each from both teams receive a red card, while Indian head coach Igor Stimac was also dismissed.

---

Kuwait coach Rui Bento indicates frustration with playing multiple 3 PM kick-offs at SAFF Championship 2023

During the press conference, Rui Bento also reflected on his team's recent run of matches. Kuwait have played seven games in the last 21 days, including four at the SAFF Championship 2023. Three of their seven contests in this tournament, including the semifinals against Bangladesh, have been afternoon kick-offs.

The Blue Wave have notably looked fatigued at times in the last two matches, scoring only one goal (excluding Anwar Ali's own-goal) in their last 231 minutes of action. When asked if he would change anything to improve his side's attack heading into the final, Bento said:

"No. I will do the same things, tomorrow you'll see. We believe in our process.

"We have played seven games in 21 days, [which is] a lot at the end of the season.

"I know it's difficult for us to play at 3 PM - three times [in this tournament] at the end of the season. The weather is not good for the players. But we don't speak about this. We come to the field, we play."

Kuwait are notably unbeaten in their last nine matches across competitions (seven wins, two draws). They will look to extend that streak when they meet India on Tuesday and lift their first major title since the 2010 Arabian Gulf Cup.