AIFF Media Team

BENGALURU: The Blue Tigers are on a roll! They have not tasted defeat in 11 matches, beginning from their Hero Tri-Nation opener against Myanmar in Imphal, and have now carried that run progressively south-west, on to Bhubaneswar in the Hero Intercontinental Cup, and then to Bengaluru in the SAFF Championship; the latter arguably being the most difficult of the three international tournaments.

Not only did India not have head coach Igor Stimac on the sidelines for more than half of the competition, but they also had to square up against quality opposition from West Asia, like Lebanon and Kuwait.

What made the SAFF Championship all the more special for the Blue Tigers was their opening clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. The rivalry between the two sibling nations has captivated generations on both sides of the border, but Indian Football fans have not always had the privilege of such high-intensity matches in recent years.

Though the result (4-0) was overwhelmingly in favour of the Blue Tigers, it gave them a sense of the intense rivalry that gave them the momentum to perform in adverse circumstances, something that they faced later on in the tournament.

Former India centre-back and current assistant coach Mahesh Gawali has been in the thick of things from the sidelines for most of the tournament, deputising for the suspended Stimac, and has played the Yin to the Croat’s Yang to perfection. Indeed, it was when things were getting heated up in the latter stages of the matches against Kuwait and Lebanon that Gawali’s transmission of calm spread to the players, who held their nerves in clutch situations.

It is not often that one gets to see a team win back-to-back penalty shootouts, but that is exactly what India did, defeating Lebanon in the semi-finals (4-2 on penalties) and Kuwait in the final (5-4).

“I think it’s wonderful that we were able to maintain our consistency. Not only in the two penalty shootouts but also throughout this year. I would give full credit to the players for continuing in the same vein,” said Gawali after winning his maiden SAFF title as a coach, and his third overall.

“This tournament gave me the opportunity to be in charge of the touchline for the first time. I have now won SAFF as both a player and as a coach, and that’s a very special feeling,” said Gawali. “Definitely I would rate this SAFF Championship as an altogether special one, as it is my first one as a coach. Also, we played some high-quality teams, with some very closely-fought matches. It is totally the achievement of the players.”

Sunil Chhetri won the Highest Scorer of the Tournament award with five goals, which also drew him level with Maldives’ Ali Ashfaq at the top of SAFF Championship’s all-time highest scorer list (23 goals). The India captain was also named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. However, the one man who has played a crucial role in the Blue Tigers’ ninth SAFF Championship title is arguably goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who saved a penalty each in both, the semis and the final.

The 31-year-old has not had great memories of penalty shootouts at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in international competitions; the last time he was part of the 12-yard lottery in an international competition in Bengaluru was in the AFC Cup 2020 Qualifying Playoff Round, where his club Bengaluru FC lost 3-4 in the shootout to Maziya. However, Gurpreet seems to have altered his fortunes in the National Team outfit.

“We have had a history of not winning penalty shootouts at the Kanteerava before, but that seems to be different with the National Team. I’m very happy and thankful to the team for showing such resilience and being creative,” he said. “The performance has been excellent.

“Penalty shootouts are something that one needs to relish as a goalkeeper. I just try to keep my mind empty and make sure that I’m in the right frame of mind. You can’t be jittery, you can't be overconfident,” said Gurpreet. “I just see the striker, try to guess which way he will go, and pick my side. If I’ve gone the right way, it’s a matter of getting your hand to it, and making sure that the ball does not go in.”

It seems only yesterday that winger Lallianzuala Chhangte burst onto the scene in the SAFF Championship and became the third youngest player to score for India, netting two as a substitute for India against Nepal in a 4-1 victory. That match, however, was eight years ago. Fast forward to the fourth of July, 2023, the Mizo winger had a rather special day.

It was the day when Chhangte was named the AIFF Player of the Year at the Federation’s Annual General Body Meeting and then followed that up with a stellar performance against Kuwait in the SAFF Championship final, where he scored a 38th-minute equaliser, and also converted a penalty in the shootout, to help India clinch the title.

“It was an amazing day! I’m so thankful to AIFF for this precious award, and for all the opportunities that I have got from it. We’ve worked so hard ahead of the SAFF Championship, I am not at all surprised that we won it,” said Chhangte. “I hope I can motivate more youngsters in the future.”

Kumam Udanta Singh has been a regular over the years for the Blue Tigers, bombing down the right wing with his explosive speed. However, it was just a few months back, in March that he was sitting in the stands cheering India on, as his teammates lifted the Hero Tri-Nation Cup in his hometown of Imphal. Although he was one of the loudest supporters of the Blue Tigers in the two matches, Udanta was hungry to get back in the side, and a few stellar performances with his club in the Hero Super Cup the following month saw him return to where he wanted to be.

The SAFF Final in Bengaluru was a bittersweet one for the speedy winger. He was the only Indian player to miss his penalty in the shootout, as his strike went over the crossbar. However, winning the championship as a team was all that mattered.

“I’ve been working hard over the past few months, and it’s a very special moment to win the SAFF Championship. Yes, I missed the penalty, and that was hard to take, but I had confidence in Gurpreet-bhai, and he did produce that all-important save in the end.

“Even after I missed, everyone was really supportive. The team bonding in this group is second to none,” he said.

As we enter the second half of 2023, India have already won a treble this year, and are looking good as they aim for the AFC Asian Cup next year. Up next, they are set to play the King’s Cup in Thailand and the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia, and the numbers are looking good for the Blue Tigers. They are on an 11-match unbeaten run overall; at home, that streak extends to 15 matches. However, the side is ever vigilant and waiting for tougher challenges as they prepare for the Asian Cup.

“There’s still a lot of time left for the Asian Cup, and the time ahead will help us improve further,” said Gurpreet. “The long camp helped us a lot this time, and I hope this can continue further. For now, we should enjoy this moment. Winning three trophies in a row is rare, even more so with the National Team. We are extremely proud, but we need to keep our heads down and keep pushing further.”