| India vs Kuwait | |
| MATCH INFO | |
MATCH :
| India vs Kuwait |
COMPETITION :
| SAFF Championship Final |
| DATE: | 03-07-2023 |
TIME:
| 07.30 PM IST (UTC +5:30)
06.00 PM UAE |
STADIUM
| Sri Kanteerava Outdoor |
India's national football team is diligently preparing for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. They have been honing their skills through matches against formidable opponents such as Kuwait and Lebanon. Additionally, they have faced off against South Asian teams like Pakistan and Nepal to further strengthen their abilities.
During the SAFF Championship held in Bengaluru, the Indian team achieved significant milestones. Captain Sunil Chhetri, a prominent figure in these achievements, equaled the record of 23 goals in the SAFF Championships set by Maldives captain Ali Ashfaq. This remarkable feat makes him the joint-highest individual goalscorer in the tournament's history.
Chhetri's exceptional performance continued with a hat-trick in the opening match against Pakistan, propelling him to become the second-highest goalscorer in the history of Asian football. With 89 goals, he surpassed Malaysia's Mokhtar Dahari, firmly establishing himself as a prolific scorer.
While Chhetri dominated the headlines, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu silently excelled in his role. He managed to secure five consecutive clean sheets for India, an extraordinary achievement. This remarkable streak started during the Hero Intercontinental Cup and continued through subsequent matches. Notably, Sandhu surpassed his previous record of four back-to-back clean sheets set in 2018, where he showcased his skill in both the Hero Intercontinental Cup and an international friendly against China.