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Kuwait came from behind to draw 1-1 with India in the final Group A game of the SAFF Championship, thanks to an unfortunate Anwar Ali own goal in stoppage time. The late equaliser nullified Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri’s opener in first half stoppage time - a stunning volley off an Anirudh Thapa corner.
The late goals in each half, however, was only part of the drama that the 9000-odd fans at the Sree Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru were treated to on this rainy Tuesday night. A brawl late in the second half, only minutes before the Kuwaiti equaliser, saw India’s Rahim Ali and Kuwait’s Hamad Al Qallaf both sent off in the dying minutes.
That wasn’t all though. Only a few minutes before that brawl, an argument on the touchline between Igor Stimac and the fourth official saw the Indian Head Coach receive a second yellow and, with that, his marching orders.
The fiery Croatian didn’t end his antics for the night there. In one final act of defiance, he fired up the home fans right behind the Indian dugout before proceeding to sit with them himself.
Indian football fans had a bunch of mixed reactions to the incident. Some of the best ones can be found below:
Not everyone was impressed with the 55-year-old’s behaviour, of course.
And then there were those that hoped for Indian cricket team’s head coach Rahul Dravid to take a leaf or two out of Igor Stimac’s handbook.
India likely to face Lebanon in the second semi-final on Saturday
In the end though, it did feel like Stimac’s hot-headedness and the fiery atmosphere of the game itself caused a lapse in concentration for the Indian defence, eventually leading to the equaliser. The draw means that India finished second in Group A, behind Kuwait, on goals scored.
As a result, India will now likely face Lebanon in the semi-final on Saturday, instead of what would have been a favourable draw against Maldives or Bangladesh. Whether this new-found aggression helps the Blue Tigers progress to a record 13th SAFF Championship final or not remains to be seen.
