India clinched their 9th SAFF Championship title after defeating Kuwait on penalties

India defeated Kuwait in the final of the SAFF Championship 2023 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru. Al Khaldi scored the goal in the 14th minute to give Kuwait an early lead but Chhangte equalised in the 38th minute for India. The match ended with a 1-1 scoreline and even extra time couldn't change that. India and Kuwait went to decide their fate via penalties where Gurpreet saved the sudden death shot of Kuwait's skipper to win it for India.

Read Also: 6 stats of the SAFF Championship that you must know

India vs Kuwait | 6:18 P.M. | Indian fans are singing Maa Tujhe Salaam

It's almost time for the #SAFFChampionship2023 Final as @IndianFootball take on #Kuwait in #Bengaluru! ⚔️

Watch #KUWIND LIVE only on @ddsportschannel & @FanCode! 📺#BlueTigers #BackTheBlue #IndianFootball #India pic.twitter.com/pWwJ94eVHN

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) July 4, 2023

India vs Kuwait | Head to Head | 6:40 P.M.

Both teams played each other twice in football competitions. The head-to-head stands in favour of Kuwait who won one match back in 2010, while the other match, in the SAFF Championship 2023 ended in a draw.

It's buzzing near the West Block's entrance of the Kanteerava 🤩✨

🇰🇼 #KUWIND 🇮🇳 Match kicks off at 7:30 PM IST. Live on DD Sports and Fancode App. pic.twitter.com/UfL5WUaGHi

— IFTWC - Indian Football (@IFTWC) July 4, 2023

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 6:57 P.M.

Stimac can do nothing more than sit in the VIP seats and watch today. But before that, he could be seen hugging each of the Indian players as they made their way out of the bus and into the stadium complex.

The #BlueTigers 🐯 are in the stadium 🏟️ and intend on leaving with the silverware 🏆

Watch the game live on @FanCode and @ddsportschannel 📱📺#KUWIND ⚔️ #SAFFChampionship2023 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/v9UvBKTk7W

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 4, 2023

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | Lineups | 7:10 P.M.

India:

• GURPREET SINGH SANDHU (GK)
• 11 SUNIL CHHETRI (CAP)
• ANWAR ALI
• SANDESH JHINGAN
• AKASH MISHRA
• ANIRUDH THAPA
• SAHAL ABDUL SAMAD
• JEAKSON SINGH THOUNAOJAM
• LALLIANZUALA CHHANGTE
• N. CHANDRASHEKHAR POOJARY
• MUHAMMED KURUNIYAN

Kuwait:

• ABDULRAHMAN F K M MARZOUQ (GK)
• KHALED M E H HAJIAH (CAP)
• HASAN H GH H ALANEZI
• ABDULLAH A M A A ALBLOUSHI
• SULTAN M S S ALENEZI
• AHMAD AFNJ ALDHEFEERY
• MOHAMMAD D KH ABDULLAH
• SHABAIB A SH T ALKHALDI
• REDHA H W M A ABUJABARAH
• HAMAD T A KH ALQALLAF
• MOBARAK KH H M ALFANEENI

Warming up before the #SAFFChampionship2023 FINAL 😍🤩

Watch the game LIVE on @FanCode & @ddsportschannel 📱📺#KUWIND ⚔️ #SAFFChampionship2023 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/XyFNimyIYh

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 4, 2023

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 7:26 P.M.

The players leave the tunnel and line up for their national anthems.

THE FINAL IS UNDERWAY!

Watch live on @FanCode and @ddsportschannel 📱📺#KUWIND ⚔️ #SAFFChampionship2023 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽️ #BlueTigers 🐯 pic.twitter.com/kRO7Rttmhg

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 4, 2023

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | Kick Off | 7:30 P.M. | 1'

The Final of the SAFF Championship 2023 begins between India and Kuwait.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 4' | Saved

Chhetri's header is caught by Marzouq.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 7' | Offside

Abdullah and Alfaneeni attack against the run of play but Alfaneeni is ruled off-side.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 9'

Kuwait are trying to breach the Indian backline but they are standing like a wall.

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 14' | Goalll!!!!. for Kuwait

Kuwait attacks on the counter. Al Feneeni got the ball and passed it to Albloushi, who provided a brilliant cross to Alkhaldi. He was unmarked in the box and he shoots into the net to give Kuwait an early lead.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 16' | The equaliser almost came for the Blue Tigers

Chhangte takes a shot from the distance to force a save by Marzouq. The goalkeeper fails to keep the ball in his gloves. Chhetri rushes in to strike on the follow-up. Hajiah clears the ball away for Kuwait.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 21' | Free Kick

Kuwait wasted the free kick.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 27' | Early substitution from Kuwait

In: Hamad Alharbi, Out: Hasan Alanezi

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 29' | Yellow card

Jhingan tries to get his head to a free-kick but fouled Alharbi in the process. The referee reaches for the card for the offense—the first booking of the game.

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 38' | Goalll!!!!. for India

Kuruniyan gets the ball after a poor clearance by Al Dhefeery. He turns and passes to Sunil Chhetri, who gave a pass-through to Sahal. He provided the cross to Chhangte, who slot it in for the equaliser.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 41' | Yellow card for Kuwait

Redha Abujabarah gets the first booking for the visitors.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | Triple yellow for Kuwait | 45'

The referee stops play after a rash challenge by Albloushi, who is booked eventually. Aldhefeery aggressively protests the booking and gets a yellow card himself. Seconds later, the coach, Ruoi Bento, is also booked.

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India (1) vs Kuwait (1) | Live Blog | Half-time

The teams are level at 1-1. The team, however, saw one of its defenders, Anwar Ali, being carried out after an injury.

Conceded early but the #BlueTigers have fought back and found the equaliser through @lzchhangte7 before half time 💙👏🏽🔥

LETS GO, WE GOT THIS 👊🏽#KUWIND ⚔️ #SAFFChampionship2023 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/91MiODVhAn

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 4, 2023

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 8:33 P.M.

The players are out of the tunnel for the second half.

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India (1) vs Kuwait (1) | Live Blog | 46' | Kick-off

The second half begins.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 47'

Chhangte and Poojary combine for an attack on the right flank but Kuwait stops it with an India throw-in.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 51'

Thapa successfully completes his defensive duty. He forces Alqallaf to get the ball out of play.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 53' | Jhingan, the saviour

Jhingan intercepts the pass from Abdullah to clear the ball out of play.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 60' | Another yellow card for Kuwait

Alwallaf fouled Thapa just when he was reaching the final third. The referee books Kuwait's No. 15.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 65' | Two cards in two minutes

Ashique & Abdullah received yellow cards.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 68' | Change for Kuwait

In: Eid Alrashidi, Out: Al Faneeni

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 71'

The Blue Tigers are pressing like a machine.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 72' | Double substitution from India

In: Mahesh Singh, Rohit Kumar, Out: Ashique Kuruniyan, Anirudh Thapa

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 74'

Stimac's men controlling the match at the moment.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 77'

9 yellow cards in the match so far.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 78' | Jhingan survived from getting the second yellow

Jhingan tries to intercept Kuwait's long ball for Alkhaldi but ends up fouling him in the process. The referee resumes play after a verbal warning.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 86'

Sahal tries to draw defenders towards himself. He provided a brilliant pass but there are no Indian players to receive the ball.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 89'

Alkhaldi takes Kuwait's free-kick which was pretty much wasted.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 90' | Change for India

In: Udanta Singh, Out: Sahal Abdul Samad

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 90+2' | saved by Gurpreet

Abdullah's right-footed shot for the bottom-left corner was saved by Gurpreet who denies a certain winner for Kuwait.

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India (1) vs Kuwait (1) | Full-time

The match goes into extra time now.

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India (1) vs Kuwait (1) | ET first half begins

The first half of the Extra time begins with India rolling the ball.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 96'

Kuwait's attempt from the set piece was wasted as Jhingan got the ball out of the box and then Poojary cleared it out of danger.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 105+3'

Last minute of extra-time first-half. The teams, just like the previous match, have remained extremely level in every department.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | ET Half-time

It's still 1-1 between them.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | ET second half begins

Kuwait gets the second half underway.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 108'

Akash Mishra is down and receiving medical attention.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 112' | Forced change for India

Akash Mishra is still struggling with fitness and India decides to replace him in the last moments, with Subhasish Bose replacing him.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 115' | Another booking for Kuwait

Alfahad tries to get the ball off Rohit Kumar along the left flank and ends up fouling him.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | 119'

Chhangte's strike Just over the bar

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | End of Extra-time

120 Minutes could not decide the winner as the teams enter into the penalties.

India vs Kuwait | Live Blog | Penalty shootout

India will take the first penalty.

• Chhetri hit the bar and it ended in the back of the net. India: 1-0 Kuwait
• Abdullah hits the bar for Kuwait. India: 1-0 Kuwait
• Jhingan scores from the spot. India: 2-0 Kuwait
• Alotaibi sends Gurpreet to the other side to score. India: 2-1 Kuwait
• Chhangte scores for India. India: 3-1 Kuwait
• Aldhefeery scores for Kuwait. India: 3-2 Kuwait
• Udanta misses. India: 3-2 Kuwait
• Mahran steps up for Kuwait and leveled the scoreline. India: 3-3 Kuwait
• Subhasish Bose didn't disappoint the fans and scored from the spot. India: 4-3 Kuwait.
• Alkhaldi finds the bottom left corner to force it to sudden death. India: 4-4 Kuwait.
• Mahesh Singh scores for India. India: 5-4 Kuwait.
• Hajiah, Kuwait's captain, steps up for the next spot-kick. Gurpreet saves the shot to win for India. 

SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India (1) vs Kuwait (1) | Full-time | India wins on penalties (5-4)

Gurpreet came out as the saviour again. He saved two spot kicks to win the title for the Blue Tigers.