(Football News) Anwar Ali could only gaze straight ahead and offer a wry smile as the Indian defensive line, which had maintained a clean sheet in their previous eight national games (a record held since June 2022), relinquished that cherished achievement in the most lackadaisical manner. In the 89th minute, the central defender scored an unfortunate own goal.

Without haste or pressure, Ali, who had been extremely vigilant throughout the night, succumbed to a momentary lapse in concentration. His attempt to clear the ball from the Indian box resulted in an unintentional slice, lofting it into the goal and forcing them to settle for a draw they didn’t deserve. India had hoped to lead the group with a victory against Kuwait on Tuesday but ended up frustrated with a draw, placing them second in their group based on goal difference.

Kuwait serves as a prime example of why FIFA rankings should be taken with caution. Due to three FIFA bans, the country finds itself ranked at 143, 42 positions below India. Despite their impressive eight-game winning streak, including victories over the United Arab Emirates and a draw against Bahrain, Kuwait was regarded as the toughest team for India in the SAFF Championships. Prior to the match, Indian coach Igor Stimac had mentioned that Kuwait’s ranking would likely be around the 75-80 range.

Just five minutes into the game, Igor Stimac’s team displayed their determination. A swift interception in midfield allowed left-back Akash Mishra to break free with minimal opposition. Mishra swiftly delivered a low pass into the box, narrowly missing Sunil Chhetri, who was just a step behind as the ball zoomed past the Kuwait defense.

This pattern repeated itself throughout the first half, with a common thread being India’s effective pressing in midfield, followed by precise passes to the wings. Rather than relying on high crosses that would place excessive expectations on Chhetri, the team opted for swift, ground-level balls that narrowly missed the Indian striker or were cleared by Kuwait’s scrambling backline.

During the initial twenty minutes, India struggled either to find a quality through ball in the final third or to shoot quickly before the Kuwait defense could block any glimpses of the goal.

However, it was the team participating in the SAFF Championship for the first time that came incredibly close to scoring in the 24th minute. Shabib Al Khaldi delivered a through ball into the Indian box, which was met by Md Abdullah Daham. Daham shot to the right of goalkeeper Amrinder Singh, who made a body save, but the attempt was ruled offside by the referee. Kuwait may have had the better chance, but India maintained greater control in midfield.

An Anirudh Thapa corner kick witnessed the Indian players swarming the near post of the Kuwait goal, creating an overload. Thapa delivered the ball towards the edge of the box rather than directly towards the goal. Sunil Chhetri, unmarked and cleverly positioned behind a wall of bodies, found himself without any defenders and skillfully volleyed the ball into the back of the net. India rightfully earned a well-deserved goal, concluding the first half on a positive note.

The second half commenced with the home team continuing their attacking approach from the end of the first half, pressuring the opposition midfield to regain possession and swiftly launching counter-attacks. Amidst the competitive exchanges between both teams, Igor Stimac found himself once again receiving a yellow card (his second in three games), although he managed to avoid a more severe punishment from the referee (more details on that later).

Intense Battle

As the second half progressed, the home team’s initial intensity in winning midfield battles began to wane. The sense of urgency to seize every ball and create opportunities diminished. Kuwait came close to scoring with a couple of near chances, including one in the 75th minute that required Sandesh Jhingan to stretch beyond his limits for a perfectly legal last-man challenge. A few minutes later, Stimac, who had been consistently pestering the fourth official throughout the half, received his second red card in three games. Consequently, he will be suspended for the SAFF Championship semi-final.

Stimac’s ejection added to the gradual unraveling of the Indian team’s composure. Sahal Abdul Samad’s ill-timed challenge further fueled the already angered Kuwaiti players, leading to increased tensions on the field. Pushes and collisions ensued, and the situation escalated. Eventually, calmer minds prevailed, but not before the referee issued red cards to Hamad Al Qallaf and Rahim Ali.

In addition to the Indian coach’s expulsion and two players receiving red cards in the final ten minutes of the match, Anwar Ali added the finishing touches to India’s complete loss of focus towards the end. Their impressive record of keeping a clean sheet for over a year was abruptly ended due to a moment of carelessness.

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