SAFF Championship Final: Gurpreet emerges as India’s hero in shootout thriller against Kuwait

For the second match running, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu starred for India as it beat Kuwait 5-4 on penalties (sudden-death) to lift its ninth SAFF Championship title at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Tuesday.

In the penalty shootout that ensued after the tie had finished 1-1, Sunil Chhetri  — via a nerveless loopy shot — Sandesh Jhingan, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Subhashish Bose scored for India while Udanta Singh missed.

For Kuwait, Mohammed Abdullah’s spot-kick, the first in the sequence, clattered off the bar. However, Fawaz Alotaibi, Ahmad Aldhefeery, Abdulaziz Mahran and Shabaib Alkhaldi stretched it to sudden-death.

Once there, Naorem Mahesh slammed his penalty home before Gurpreet dived to his left to thwart Kuwait captain Khaled Hajiah and gave India its second trophy in under a month. But, three hours earlier it was Kuwait that started brightly, taking the lead in the 14th minute with a blistering transition. Right-back Abdullah Albloushi was released on the overlap and his low cross into the box was tapped in by Alkhaldi.

But the Indians’ mood did not dampen and they nearly equalised off the very next move. It required a diving effort from goalie Abdulrahman Marzouq to save a Chhetri shot from distance before Chhangte’s rebound was cleared.

Just when India was clawing its way back, defender Anwar Ali had to be stretchered off after he pulled a muscle in his right leg. A goal down, and with a key player out, the night was turning sour for India.

However, some superb combination play in the final third in the 38th minute brought Chhetri & Co. right back into the contest and lifted the 26,000-strong crowd.

After collecting the ball from Ashique Kuruniyan on the left, Chhetri released Sahal Abdul Samad with a toe-poke. The latter unselfishly squared the ball and a sliding Chhangte finished off the move from the right. India’s intensity didn’t lessen even after the change of ends. In a bid to disrupt, Kuwait upped its physicality, but other than earning a few yellow cards, it did precious little.

The futility of the strategy soon evident, the visitors went back to prioritising the football over their bodies. A couple of half-chances fell their way and so it did for the Indians as the match, inevitably, slipped into extra-time.

Over the next 30 minutes, both goalkeepers were hardly threatened. India came the closest with barely minutes left on the clock, but Chhangte blasted over from a tight angle on the left flank. The fans gasped in disbelief but it was not long before they would have their hero in Gurpreet once again.

The result: India 1 (Chhangte 38) drew with Kuwait 1 (Alkhaldi 14). India won 5-4 on penalties (sudden-death).