Tuesday at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium was the day when India won their seventh SAFF Championship championship after claiming victory against Kuwait 5-4 in the last round of penalties.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, India’s goalkeeper, was once again the country’s savior in the championship match, as he stood firm and stopped two penalty shots to win the match for India in the sudden death round. After taking home the Intercontinental Cup only a few short weeks ago, India has now added a second major prize to its collection.
In the semi-final match against Lebanon, he was just as outstanding, as seen by the penalty shootout he saved. The lanky goalie followed it up with another outstanding effort in the shootouts, during which he made two saves.
The goal was first scored by a striker for Kuwait named Shabib Al Khaldi in the 14th minute when he struck the back of the net. However, India got the equalizer in the 38th minute when Lallianzuala Chhangte finished off a smooth play to make the score 1-1.
During the penalty shootout, Udanta Singh of India missed one of his penalties, while Abdullah of Kuwait struck the post with his attempt. The game proceeded into sudden death, and it was Gurpreet Singh Sandhu who made the crucial stop on Hajiah’s penalty shot, which ultimately led to the team’s victory.
Despite the fact that Sandhu’s heroics in the semifinal and the final had a significant role in India’s victory, Anisur Rahman Zico of Bangladesh was recognized as the tournament’s goalkeeper of the year due to his consistent performance in goal.