Stairway to cloud 9
Bengaluru, July 3
Defending champions India would look to preserve a proud record and add a ninth title to their trophy cabinet when they face a tough Kuwait in the SAFF Championship final here tomorrow.
India were taken to the penalty shootout by Lebanon in the semifinals before winning 4-2, while Kuwait had to wait till extra-time to eke out a 1-0 victory over Bangladesh.
This will be the second time India will face Kuwait in the tournament. They had played out a 1-1 draw in an acrimonious Group A match last week.
India appear to have a slight upper hand in the clash, partly due to the huge home crowd at the Kanteerava Stadium.
But there is a worrying aspect: will India be able to give their best in the final after they were made to toil for two consecutive matches over last week?
India assistant coach Mahesh Gawli sought to allay such concerns. “I’d like to say that if you get one week, you can’t do anything. But when you get one month or more you work more on fitness,” said Gawli. “I think we had almost 50 days. Our strength and conditioning coach, Luka Radman, has done a wonderful job. We have seen our players playing without injuries, and there have been no cramps as well.”
In the final, India will also be boosted by the return of key defender Sandesh Jhingan. He had missed the semifinal against Lebanon owing to two accumulated yellow cards against Pakistan and Kuwait.
Anwar Ali had replaced Jhingan in the line-up against Lebanon and he did an excellent job in thwarting their attacks.
Head coach Igor Stimac will be absent from the Indian dug-out in this match as well after being slapped with a two-match ban by the SAFF disciplinary committee.
India would hope that Sahal Abdul Samad, Mahesh Singh and Udanta Singh will continue to be energetic on the field, feeding Sunil Chhetri with those dreaded crosses.
Mahesh, who is usually deployed as a winger, was fielded behind Chhetri against Lebanon to add more support to the skipper. PTI
Gawli wants players to keep calm
India have never lost a final at home since 2005, and assistant coach Mahesh Gawli hoped his side will handle the pressure well. “There is pressure because we want to win. The team is doing very well and I hope they play the same as they were doing,” Gawli said. India and Kuwait were involved in a heated Group A match, which ended in a 1-1 draw a few days ago. However, Gawli said he has told the players to remain calm and focus on the task at hand. “The last match against Kuwait was very heated. But we have spoken to the boys and asked them to be calm and cool because it is a game, and we have to win,” he said.
Jhingan can’t wait to play
Without disregarding the strength of Kuwait, India defender Sandesh Jhingan said the hosts are confident of winning the SAFF Championship. “It is going to be a tough game. They are a very good team. They have an experienced coach. We are looking forward to it. We have done well together and sky is the limit for this batch,” said Jhingan during the pre-match press conference.Jhingan can’t wait to take the field after missing the semifinal against Lebanon due to the two accumulated yellow cards in the group matches. “I missed being on the field (against Lebanon) like any other footballer. I don’t want to miss the big games. But the team did really well, and I don’t think I was missed much. Mehtab Singh did well and Anwar Ali did well, and the entire backline did well. It is all about team philosophy and unity. I was personally confident that we will get through to the final,” he said.
