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All Anwar Ali could do was look straight ahead and let out a wry smile. An Indian defensive lineman who has spent the last eight national matches keeping a clean sheet (a record that has stood since June 2022), gave that cherished record the most lacking of manners – an 89th-minute goal from midfield. cannon.
Ali, who spent most of the night in the most severe vigils, unhurried and unstressed, was subject to a break in concentration. An attempt to cram the ball away from the Indian penalty area turned into a heavy slice, one that spiked to the goal and reduced them to a draw they didn’t deserve. India, who were looking to lead the group with a win over Kuwait on Tuesday, had to finish with a draw that put them second in their group on goal difference.
Kuwait is a prime example of why FIFA’s rankings should be taken with a pinch of salt. Three bans by FIFA put the country further down the rankings as it ranked 143 – 42 places behind India. On an eight-match winning streak – part of which saw them beat the United Arab Emirates and draw with Bahrain – Kuwait were seen as the strongest side in India’s SAFF tournaments. Before the start of the match, Indian coach Igor Stimak spoke of the Gulf country’s rating as likely somewhere between 75 and 80.
🎥 Pitch side view of @chetrisunil11crushing ball 💥 that gave # Blue Tigers 🐯 He advanced against Kuwait tonight and raised his score to 9 ️⃣ 2 ️⃣ goals for #INDKUW ⚔️ # South Asian Football Confederation Championship 2023 🏆 # Blue Tigers 🐯 # Indian football ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/tZVgeeVZRe
– Indian Football Team June 27, 2023
However, this Indian team looked much better than their opponents on the night.
We start with intention
Five minutes later, Igor Stimac’s team was already looking for it. The fastball was won in the middle of the field, which led to the release of left-back Akash Mishra without being guarded. A low ping introduced by Mishra in the penalty area met Sunil Chhetri, who was a step away from the ball as it crossed the Kuwaiti penalty area.
The play will find frequent repetitions during the first half. The common factor: a pressing movement in the Indian midfield – executed efficiently and then capitalized on by sending the ball into the wings. Then, that ball would be sent into the penalty area – no crosses that would set Chhetri unaccustomed expectations of the encounter – but rather fast volleys to the ground that would narrowly miss the Indian striker or be filtered out by the Kuwaiti backline.
The first twenty minutes of the first half was about either India not being able to find a good pass in the final third, or not being able to shoot quickly enough before Kuwait’s defense could stop any glimpses of goal.
But it was the team playing in the SAFF Championship for the first time that moved inches away from scoring in the 24th minute. A through ball from Shabib Al Khaldi inside the Indian penalty area was met by Mohammed Abdullah Daham, who shot to the right of goalkeeper Amrinder Singh. Singh met the shot with his body and saved the ball, but the referee called an offside attempt. Kuwait might have had the chance but India had more control in midfield.
High speed ✅
Nerve flare
Last minute drama ⏱️The 🇮🇳 vs match had it all
Read the full report here 👉 https://t.co/daF78djlhS#INDKUW ⚔️ # South Asian Football Confederation Championship 2023 🏆 # Blue Tigers 🐯 # Indian football ⚽ pic.twitter.com/jcNwkJPOzP
– Indian Football Team June 27, 2023
Only when the half had dwindled to its end did this pressure materialize.
Anirudh Thapa corner witnessed an increase in the Indian players’ load on the near post of Kuwait’s goal. Thapa fired the ball inside – the ball that was towards the edge of the penalty area, not towards the goal. Chhetri, no number, almost hiding behind a wall of bodies, found himself with no one to guard him and fired the ball into the back of the net. India came out in the first half with a goal which they played for and deserved.
The home team’s second half began similarly to how they finished the first – attacking the opposition midfield for possession and then quickly releasing the ball, looking to hit it on the counter. In the midst of the struggle between the two teams, Igor Stemak managed to find time to get a card again (the second time in three matches), but fortunately the referee only waved a yellow (more on that later).
heated battle
The home side’s bid to win the midfield battles waned as the second half progressed. Gone is the urgency to win every ball and make something of that possession. Kuwait came close with two close chances – one in the 75th minute Sandesh Jhingan needed to push past his means to complete another perfectly legal challenge. A few minutes later, Stimak, who had spent half pestering the fourth official, was able to secure his second career spot in three games. He will now miss the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship.
Stimac’s ejection was another loose screw in the Indian metal wall that has been slowly coming apart. There was a loose challenge from Sahel Abdel Samad – a challenge that brought the already angry Kuwaitis to a fresher level of exasperation. Bodies were collided and players were pushed. By the time it was quiet, the referee had sent off Hamad Al-Qallaf and Rahim Ali.
If the dismissal of the Indian coach and two players on the field for red in the last 10 minutes of the match wasn’t enough theater, Anwar Ali provided the finishing touches to India’s complete failure to concentrate towards the end of the match. Their commendable record of not letting in a target for over a year – it all came down to a moment of lethargy.
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