In their quest for glory, defending champions India will aim to add a ninth SAFF Championship title to their collection as they prepare to face a formidable Kuwait in the tournament final on Tuesday.
India faced a challenging test in the semifinals against Lebanon, which extended to a penalty shootout that resulted in a 4-2 victory for the defending champions. Meanwhile, Kuwait secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bangladesh in extra time.
Interestingly, this will be the second encounter between India and Kuwait in the tournament. They previously clashed in a heated Group A match, ending in a 1-1 draw.
With a home advantage and a passionate crowd backing them at the Kanteerava Stadium, India may hold a slight edge. However, there is a concern about their physical condition after enduring two demanding matches consecutively. Addressing these worries, India's assistant coach, Mahesh Gawli, reassured, "I'd like to say that if you get one week, you can't do anything. But when you get one month or more, you work more on fitness. I think we had almost 50 days. Our strength and conditioning coach, Luka Radman, has done a wonderful job. We have seen our players playing without injuries, and there have been no cramps as well."
India will also benefit from the return of key defender Sandesh Jhingan, who missed the semifinal against Lebanon due to accumulated yellow cards from matches against Pakistan and Kuwait. Anwar Ali filled in admirably in Jhingan's absence, effectively thwarting Lebanon's advances.
Head coach Igor Stimac will not be present in the dugout for the final due to a two-match ban imposed by the SAFF disciplinary committee. Stimac received his second red card of the tournament during the match against Kuwait, following his earlier expulsion in India's opening match against Pakistan.
Nonetheless, India, led by the talismanic Sunil Chhetri, has displayed remarkable determination in overcoming obstacles. Chhetri, who scored in three consecutive group stage matches, failed to find the net in the semifinals against Lebanon, except for his penalty conversion in the shootout. The striker will be eager to make a more significant impact in the summit clash.
India will also rely on the energy and contributions of Sahal Abdul Samad, Mahesh Singh, and Udanta Singh on the field, as they provide Chhetri with crucial crosses. In the semifinals against Lebanon, Mahesh, typically deployed as a winger, played behind Chhetri to offer additional support to the captain. Gawli hinted at continuing this strategy in the final, stating, "We wanted him to play there (in wings) and feed the wingers and Sunil Chhetri. He was doing that. We kept Ashique (Kuruniyan) on the left because of his physicality, and he was doing well. He was running a lot. We did not want to change that."
However, India are well aware that Kuwait are a battle-hardened side, and only their best performance will suffice in the final showdown.
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(With PTI inputs)