India Eye 9th SAFF Championship Title, Face Kuwait In Final

03.07.2023 - 12:27 sports.ndtv.com

Defending champions India would look to preserve a proud record and add a ninth title to their shelf when they face a tough Kuwait in the SAFF Championship final in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

India were stretched to a penalty shootout by Lebanon in the semifinals before winning 4-2, while Kuwait had to wait till extra time to eke out a 1-0 victory over Bangladesh.

In fact, this will be the second time India will face Kuwait in the tournament. They had played out a 1-1 draw in an acrimonious Group A match last week.

India might just appear to have a slight upper hand in front of a hugely partisan home crowd at the Kanteerava Stadium. But there is a worrying aspect.

Football Saff Igor Stimac India county Will Bangladesh Pakistan Kuwait Lebanon

The AIFF is bullish on sending its first team to Asian Games led by its talismanic skipper Sunil Chhetri if it is able to get the green light from the sports ministry for participation is the continental showpiece starting September 23 in Hangzhou. The national football team, which didn't get permission to participate during the Jakarta Games in 2018, is currently ranked 18th in Asia and the sports ministry's rule states that in team sport, only those in top-eight will get the nod.

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With the Indian football team set to miss out on the Asian Games participation for the second season in a row, head coach Igor Stimac has decided to make an emotional plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. Stimac penned an emotional letter, urging the Indian government to allow the Sunil Chhetri-led side to participate in the continental event. It was earlier reported that the team is unlikely to be sent for Asian Games participation as its current ranking is not among the top 8 sides in Asia.

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"Really Hope We Get It": Sunil Chhetri Backs Igor Stimac's Plans Ahead Of Asian Cup

Indian captain Sunil Chhetri on Sunday backed head coach Igor Stimac's demand for a four-week camp before the Asian Cup early next year, saying the team needs to have enough preparation time to face the best sides in the continent. The 38-year-old Chhetri, who will be playing his last Asian Cup in Doha (January 12 to February 10), also pitched for at least one international friendly match against a top-seven ranked country in Asia such as Iran, Japan or Saudi Arabia before the continental showpiece. "We are going to face Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria in the Asian Cup (group matches), that is why Stimac (as well as goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu) have spoken about long camps. We need it, and I really hope we get it," Chhetri said in a virtual media interaction.

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The Indian football team is on a roll, having won the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship, but the head coach Igor Stimac is still unhappy. The Croatian coach, who saw some of his players produce their best football in recent competitions, isn't pleased with the way the team has grown. In an interview, Stimac made a rather blunt remark, saying football in India is still not living in the real world, and some serious steps are required to be taken in order to make the team compete globally.