India, Kuwait to lock horns in SAFF Championships 2023 final
The Indian football team will be aiming to win their record ninth SAFF Championship title when they clash against Kuwait in the finals on July 4. Both the teams have showcased quality football throughout the tournament and therefore the final promises to be a riveting contest. While Igor Stimac's men defeated Lebanon on penalties, Kuwait edged past Bangladesh on extra time in the semifinals.
Timing, venue and streaming details
Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium will host the exciting contest between two potent teams. The final will kick off at 7:30pm IST on July 4. Fans at the Kanteerava have been loud throughout the tournament, and the final will hopefully be no different. The stadium approximately can hold 25,000 spectators. DD Sports will telecast the match, fans can live-stream it on FanCode application.
A look at their head-to-head record
India have faced Kuwait only four times in total. While Kuwait holds the edge in the head-to-head statistic with two wins. India defeated them only once in 2004. The last outing involving the two teams happened at the SAFF Championships 2023 when India conceded a late own goal to share the spoils with Kuwait in a 1-1 draw. In 2010, Kuwait thrashed India 9-1.
Ninth consecutive SAFF Championship final for India
India have made it to 13 SAFF Championship finals. Before this, they have won the tournament eight times in 12 attempts. Notably, this is also their ninth consecutive SAFF Championship finals, proving their consistency as a team in this region. Ever since the 2005 SAFF Championship, the Blue Tigers have made it to the finals each time. They won the title in 2021.
Kuwait are unbeaten in their last nine matches
Kuwait have had some fantastic results before coming to India to play the SAFF Championships. They are unbeaten in nine consecutive matches. They featured at the Gulf Cup and had a decent outing. Since their defeat to Qatar in January, they have not tasted defeat this year, beating UAE and drawing against Bahrain. They also defeated the Philippines, Tajikistan, and Zambia before the Championships.
Here are the probable playing XIs
India's Probable XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Gk), Nikhil Poojary, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Anirudh Thapa, Jeakson Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sahal Abdul Samad, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Sunil Chhetri. Kuwait's Probable XI: Abdulrahman Kameel (Gk), Abdullah Ammar, Khalid El Ibrahim, Hasan Al Enezi, Hamad Al Qallaf, Sultan Al Enezi, Ahmed Al-Dhefiri, Mubarak Faneni, Shabib Al Khaldi, Athbi Saleh, and Eid Naser Al-Rashedi.
A look at the key performers
Anwar has been brilliant for India. Courtesy of his heroics, India conceded only one goal in this tournament. Chhetri is the joint-highest goal-scorer at SAFF Championships. He needs one goal to surpass Ali Ashfaq. Faneni has been good for Kuwait with a couple of goals in this tournament. Ebrahim is a pivotal player in defense. Gurpreet registered his 24th clean sheet for India (highest).
