BENGALURU: A second bit of silverware in a matter of weeks is all that will be on India’s mind when they take on Kuwait in the final of the SAFF Championships at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Tuesday.
It has been a terrific month for Igor Stimac’s team as they followed up their Intercontinental Cup triumph with an unbeaten run here. It is difficult to remember the last time India went on such an impressive run of form. The Blue Tigers haven’t lost a match for more than ten months and have registered seven victories in their last ten games.
Even more impressive is the way Stimac has moulded a disciplined defence. The last-minute equaliser that Kuwait scored in the dramatic group game between these two teams remains the only goal India has conceded in this period. With the exception of Lebanon and Kuwait, the opponents may not have been the toughest. But it does require a great deal of discipline to build such a good defensive record, no matter who the opponents are.
It will be that defense — boosted by the return of Sandesh Jhingan — that will be put to the test when they take on the only team to score past them in 2023. India’s defensive record has been aided a great deal by their incessant pressing game. The semifinal against Lebanon saw the hosts fighting for every ball even in extra time, while the body language of their opponents betrayed fatigue. Kuwait, though, are coming off their own extra-time victory over Bangladesh in the semis, in which they too managed to physically outlast their rivals.
"To be honest, I was pretty confident we would get through,” said Jhingan at the pre-match press conference. “I was preparing for the final. Now, the whole focus is on Kuwait. They have been the toughest team to face in the last 8-10 games we've played. It's going to be difficult, and we're looking forward to it.”
Stimac — who will miss the match due to a ban that followed a red card against Kuwait — will once again be looking for someone not named Sunil Chhetri to step up in the attack. As the captain grows older, it appears that India’s reliance on him for goals is only growing stronger. It is indeed a remarkable stat that Chhetri has accounted for five of the seven goals India has scored in the tournament. It is not that others haven’t had the opportunity — Sahal Abdul Samad particularly could have had a few to his name over the last couple of matches. But nobody has displayed the kind of ruthlessness in front of the goal that Chhetri has displayed consistently for years.
Against a Kuwait side that is on their own impressive run of form —they too haven’t lost in ten games despite facing the likes of Bahrain and UAE — India will need their attackers to finish off whatever chances they get. A packed Kanteerava will be expecting nothing less than a ninth SAFF title.