Gurpreet Singh Sandhu pulled off a stunning save to deny Hassan Maatouk before Khalil Bedar’s shot went over the bar as India edged out Lebanon 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out to reach the final of the SAFF Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday evening. They will face Kuwait in the summit clash on Tuesday.
The absence of Igor Stimac, the India coach who was serving a suspension after his second red card of the competition, on the touchline clearly affected India’s performance, as it had in the first half against Nepal. Additionally, India was missing Sandesh Jhingan, but Anwar Ali and Mehtab Singh stepped up to ensure that his absence was not felt. India struggled in the first half, appearing disorganised and ill at ease.
Lebanon had some good chances to score, with Nader Matar missing a clear opportunity in the first minute and Zein Farran being denied by Gurpreet in the 7th minute. Gurpreet showcased his shot-stopping ability once again by saving a brilliant curling free-kick from Maatouk, the Lebanon captain, in the 43rd minute.
India had difficulty creating clear chances despite the efforts of Ashique Kuruniyan and Lallianzuala Chhangte from the flanks. Anirudh Thapa’s accurate long pass found Pritam Kotal inside Lebanon’s box, but his header went wide.
The second half was livelier, and both teams had opportunities to score. India were stronger in the last quarter of the match after making a double change in the 74th minute. They won three corners but failed to capitalise on them.
In extra time, India started well, with Sunil Chhetri’s volley from outside the box being saved by Lebanon’s goalkeeper in the 94th minute. Chhetri had another scoring opportunity, but he couldn’t keep it on target after a fine, low cross from Udanta Singh. The best chance came in the 112th minute when Udanta Singh made a solo run from midfield and dribbled through Lebanon’s defence before failing to find the target.
India’s fitness levels played a significant role as the match progressed. While most of the Lebanese players seemed tired after 100 minutes, India continued to create attacks and push for a winner. Chhetri, at 38 years old, made it look effortless.
After 120 minutes of even play, the match went to a shootout. Chhetri confidently converted the first shot, and Gurpreet then flew to his left to deny Maatouk. Anwar Ali, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Udanta calmly converted their penalties, before Bader skied his shot over the bar.
The final will be a repeat of a group stage fixture that ended in a 1-1 draw, with a late Anwar Ali own goal denying India a historic victory. On Tuesday, they will get an opportunity to make amends, and win another trophy.