India wins against Kuwait to lift the 2023 SAFF Championships
Kuwait held a slight edge as they pressed forward for goals often in the first half. They drew the first blood in the 14th minute as Mobarak Al Faneeni released Abdullah Al Bloushi on the left wing with a deft pass. Al Bloushi found Shabaib Al Khaldi inside the box with an accurate cross which the latter slotted past India custodian Sandhu to give Kuwait a 1-0 lead.
After a lovely exchange of passes between Sahal Abdul Samad and captain Chhetri, the latter found an unmarked Chhangte deep inside the box. Chhangte, India's energetic No. 12, had little trouble in beating Abdul Rahman to find the equalizer.
In the second half, the action continued to flow thick and fast as both India and Kuwait searched for the winner. Both sides came close to taking the lead in the second half, but their poor finishing kept the game at 1-1.
The extra time too witnessed frantic action from both sides, as it had a couple of yellow cards, injuries, and a lot of drama. It was now down to the penalties. Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri scored the first penalty to take India 1-0 up, while Kuwait's player Abdullah hit the crossbar. However, parity was restored when Udanta Singh blazed one over the bar.
With five rounds of penalties gone, the score was 4-4, and the game moved to the sudden death. Naorem Mahesh Singh stepped up and scored for India, but a diving Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved Kuwait captain Khaled Hajiah's shot to the wild celebration of the home fans and at the India dugout.