India won South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship final at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. India defeated Kuwait in the penalty shootout by 5-4

The match ended 1-1 in restricted time making the match draw, after that players on both sides did penalty shoot out for the coveted title.

Kuwait played the match well as they stretched the Indian back line with their constant efforts down the flank at both ends.

The Indian team was forced to regroup and rethink their plans. Centre-back Anwar Ali took a knock and had to be stretchered off as he was replaced by Mumbai City FC star Mehtab Singh in the heart of midfield.
With time clicking, the Kuwaiti team was slowly building pressure. However, India’s front line instantly got moving as Sahal Abdul Samad and Lallianzuala Chhangte linked seamlessly to seal the balance in the 38th minute.

After restoring equality, the Blue Tigers grew into the game and also rang in several crucial changes in the final quarter of the match. Powerhouse midfielder Anirudh Thapa has been replaced by Rohit Kumar to add fresh legs to the middle of the park. Additionally, East Bengal FC winger Naorem Mahesh Singh has come in for Ashique Kuruniyan.

However, neither side was able to prevail, forcing the game into overtime. India pushed hard for a breakthrough with a reworked XI courtesy of more substitutions. Udanta Singh and Subhasish Bose were roped in to increase the activity on the wings. Chhangte got a touch, but his shot went wide in the 119th minute, sending the match into a penalty shootout.

Penalties – How it happened
The sudden death rule was applied then and this is where India turned out to be superior with Mahesh Naorem scoring and then the goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made a stunning save to deny Kuwait captain Khaled Hajiah. The anticipation from Gurpreet was excellent as Khaled targetted the left of the former. But India’s goalkeeper was spot on with his dive.
A full-length dive from Gurpreet led to him making a perfect save and that led a huge roar from a jam-packed stadium at Kanteerva in Bangalore. Indian team also ran towards their hero Gurpreet and the celebrations began. The winning moment has gone viral on social.