India vs Kuwait offers up potential classic in 2023 SAFF Championship final

The Big Picture

Two aggressive, high-tempo footballing units duking it out just a week after an ill-tempered, fast-flowing contest… We have a potential classic brewing as India and Kuwait meet on Tuesday in the final of the 2023 SAFF Championships at the Kanteerava, Bengaluru (7.30 PM kickoff).

Just last week they’d played out a 1-1 group stage draw that saw three red cards and plenty of goal mouth action. If the gleaming SAFF Championship trophy wasn’t incentive enough, memories of that match ought to provide just the right amount of oomph.

India had been excellent for eighty minutes that day — they pressed high, hassled the technically adept Kuwaiti attack, and out maneuvered their opponents for large parts, before a rather unlucky own goal saw them drop two points. That goal was accompanied by an unusual sight too – that of the entire Kuwaiti bench clearing out and celebrating smack in front of a restrained Indian one. Of course, the two benches had had to be separated physically just moments before.

The last time these two teams had met before this, India had been mauled 9-1 by Kuwait (in 2010); but both teams know a lot has changed since then, and Tuesday had merely served to emphasise it.

Speaking in their press conferences ahead of the match, both teams acknowledged that it was a big occasion, and that it would be a tough match. When questioned about their physical approach to the last game, Kuwait coach Rui Bento looked surprised, insisting that it had been the other way, and asking if the press wanted to see the bruises on the legs of his players.

India’s assistant coach Mahesh Gawli, filling in for the suspended Igor Stimac again, said he had asked his wards to keep their cool. “It was a tense affair last time out against Kuwait… We’ve spoken to the boys to be calm and cool and direct all the focus on winning the final. It will be a totally different game.” He did, though, say there’s pressure, “because we want to win at home.”

Gawli won the SAFF Championship twice as a player but feels the final-to-come will be the toughest yet. “This one is going to be more difficult [to win]. Kuwait are a good opponent, and the competition has been tough. Back then, we only played against SAFF teams,” he said. “Winning in Karachi in 2005 was very enjoyable, but if we win tomorrow, the joy will be of a different level.”

Gawli’s mainstay in central defence, Sandesh Jhingan, credited much of the good displays India had produced over the last month to the fact that they had been together for almost two months now. “We come in from different clubs that play different styles and at different tempos,” he said, “but now with [the long camp], you can see the difference.”

With India keen to defend their trophy on home soil, and with Kuwait determined to put to bed almost a decade of not winning any silverware (with the national team), an already sold-out Kanteerava can expect a classic.

The #BlueTigers went right back to work the day after winning an intense semifinal ������️

Coach @stimac_igor talks about the performance against ���� and what to expect from the #SAFFChampionship2023 FINAL against ����������#BlueTigers �� #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/WOxFHKr80I

– Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 3, 2023

Team News

There are no injury concerns or suspensions for either team. Indian head coach Igor Stimac will, of course, be missing from the touchline as he serves out his suspension. But both Jhingan and Rahim Ali (who sat out the semifinal due to suspension) will be back in contention.

Concerns

For India: Apart from the absence of Stimac, there aren’t many pressing concerns for the Indian team – though a drop off in creativity from midfield could prove a sticking point. The defensive unit, meanwhile, has been shuffled around every single game for the past month – but what would normally be a concern has been turned into a major strength.

Jhingan credits this to the system that the coaching staff have employed (both Gawli and Stimac were superb centre-backs in their playing days). He even quoted Italian great Giorgio Chiellini, saying about the defensive lineup that “the script is the same, just the actors change.”

��️ @SandeshJhingan : “Mahesh bhai was one of the best defenders ���� had during his playing days. A lot of credit for our defensive performances should go to him.” ��������

Full press conference ���� https://t.co/VphTF0tv6b#KUWIND #BlueTigers #IndianFootball #SAFFChampionship2023 pic.twitter.com/ohsXJN0ISP

– Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 3, 2023

For Kuwait: Their strikeforce hasn’t been able to replicate the brilliance they showed over the first two games in their last two. With a leaky midfield and central defence that conceded plenty of chances against India and Bangladesh (especially the latter), Bento will know that he needs his forwards to hit top gear again to really push India.

Meanwhile, a common concern for both could be fitness. Kuwait have played 7 games in the past 21 days, and India have played 8 in 24 (a game every three days) and both of them played out long, draining, 120-minute semifinals on Saturday. All this coming at the end of a pretty long domestic season in both countries.

It’s a bit worse for Kuwait, because as Bento pointed out, three of their four matches in Bengaluru have been afternoon kickoffs. While the city is not at its hottest in June/July, a 3 or 3.30 PM kickoff can still be quite exhausting. Bento was also quick to point out they hadn’t complained about it at all since getting here — before doing just that in matter-of-fact way. Bento, though, insisted that this was a final and they would go all in.

India, on the other hand, have played all their matches in the much cooler Bengaluru evenings (kickoff 7.30 PM).

Head-to-Head

A Sunil Chhetri belter. An Anwar Ali own goal. Bench-clearing almost-brawls. Three red cards. If the final is anything like their last meeting, this will be must-watch television (on DD Sport, and Fancode)

Kuwait W: 2

India W: 1

Draw: 1

Predicted XIs