The India men’s football team won the SAFF Championship in Male, Maldives. At the start of this tournament, this result was not supposed to ...
The India men’s football team won the SAFF Championship in Male, Maldives. At the start of this tournament, this result was not supposed to be in doubt. But the way this competition panned out, India had to dig deep to ensure their superiority prevailed.
The Blue Tigers beat Nepal 3-0 in the final to take the crown in emphatic fashion, but for Igor Stimac’s men, the ride till that point had been a struggle.
India were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Bangladesh before failing to score in a 0-0 stalemate against Sri Lanka. Then they overcame Nepal thanks to a late Sunil Chhetri goal before upping their performance in the 3-1 victory over the Maldives to qualify for the final.
In the end, India produced their best display in the final, but the tournament was harder than many Indian football fans would have expected.
The tournament also served as precious preparation for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, and looking ahead to that campaign, here are the key takeaways that Indian football faithful can take away from the SAFF Championship.
Players show spirit
India came into the SAFF Championship as favourites but also on a run of three wins in 17 matches. The Blue Tigers were still expected...
