Kuwait held India to a 1-1 draw with a late equaliser in their final group game of the SAFF Championship 2023 on Tuesday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Sunil Chhetri handed India the lead as he netted his 92nd international at the stroke of halftime with a clinical volley from Anirudh Thapa's corner but an own goal by Anwar Ali in the final minutes of the game allowed the visitors to stage a comeback.
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Both India and Kuwait finished the group stage on seven points from three matches, but due to an inferior goal difference, Igor Stimac's side finished second and will now face Group B topper Lebanon in the semi-final.
Extremely unfortunate result in the end.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 27, 2023
After dominating the game for more than 90 minutes, the #BlueTigers 🐯 had to settle for a draw 😔#INDKUW ⚔️ #SAFFChampionship2023 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/2rj2fyBAf4
India started the game on a high and dominated a formidable opponent like Kuwait. Mahesh Singh, who netted his maiden international goal in their last match had a brilliant outing and was constantly threatening the opposition with his inch-perfect crosses from the flank.
The final 10 minutes of the match saw tempers flare on both sides. Stimac was shown yet another red card for arguing with the match officials and then Rahim Ali and Kuwait's Hamad Al-Qallaf were given the marching orders for an on-field scuffle.
The Blue Tigers will now face Lebanon in the semi-final on July 1 a team they had beaten in less than a fortnight ago to win the Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneswar.
