India Beat Kuwait in Penalty Shootout to Win SAFF Championship
India defeated Kuwait in a penalty shootout to win the SAFF Championship title on July 5. The match was tied 1-1 after extra time, and India won the shootout 5-4.
This is India's ninth SAFF Championship title, and their first since 2015. The tournament was held in Bhubaneswar, India.
![[Image of Indian football team celebrating victory over Kuwait]](https://images.indianexpress.com/2023/07/IND-KUW-Chhetri.jpg)
A goal from Sunil Chhetri in the last moments of the first-half keeps the Blue Tigers ahead, though the coach looks very disappointed with the missed opportunities -- something that could have made the lead ever wider.
After five rounds of penalty kicks the scoreline remained 4-4 and sudden death rule was applied. Mahesh Naorem scored but a diving India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved Khaled Hajiah’s shot to hand victory the home side.
The match went to extra time, but neither team was able to score a winner. In the penalty shootout, India scored all five of their penalties, while Kuwait missed one.
The win is a major boost for Indian football. It comes just a few months after India qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
The team will now look to build on this success and continue to improve in the years to come.
No comments