SAFF Cup: India draw Kuwait 1-1 in ill tempered game, coach Stimac recieves red card

India were held 1-1 in the final group stage match of the SAFF Cup on Tuesday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore.

An ill-temepered game saw three red cards, out of which two were shown to players from each team and the other one was given to India head coach Igor Stimac. India were given the lead late in the first half by a superb side volley by captain Sunil Chhetri, but conceded late in the stoppage time of the game.

A low cross from the right side of the field deflected off defender Anwar Ali in the added time of the second half spoiled the home side’s march. This was also the first goal India conceded in nine matches. The result meant that India and Kuwait ended up on seven points but the latter topped Group A on a better goal average.

India will play Lebanon in the semifinal while Kuwait will take on either Bangladesh or Maldives. Lebanon are ranked ahead of India in FIFA rankings and currently stand in 99tth position.

India did well to organise their attacks through the wings. The Blue Tigers nearly went ahead in the sixth minute but Chhetri failed to connect with a cross from Akash Mishra by a whisker. Kuwait too had their own chance when Shadab Al Khaldi’s ripper of a shot from just outside the box went inches over the bar in the 20th minute.

But, slowly but surely, India snatched the control of the match and they could have netted the first goal in the 35th minute but Anwar Ali’s header off an Anirudh Thapa corner lacked the desired direction.

India’s persistent tries bore fruit in the injury time. Thapa took a rather low flag kick from the right side and Chhetri effected a classy, tumbling volley to beat Kuwait goalkeeper Abdul Rahman, whose desperate dive went in vain.

It was Chhetri’s fifth goal of this tournament from three matches and overall 24th goal in 26 SAFF championship matches.

Armed with a 1-0 lead, India went ahead in full steam in the second half but saw their head coach Igor Stimac being sent off with a red card, second time in this tournament.

Stimac who had been into arguments with Kuwait players and the fourth official before in the game, engaged in an animated argument after Sahal Abdul Samad was shoved in the second half. Samad, who had almost struck a Kuwait player with a high boot was shoved by Hamad Al Qallaf which began the meltdown between the two teams.

India forward Rahim Ali came to protect Samad and gave a hard push to Qallaf who was thrown into the grounnd. The Croatian copped a red card from the incident after he was earlier given marching orders in the match against Pakistan for interrupting their player from taking a throw-in.

India will hope to regroup after a unsatisfactory end to the match and put in aa good show against Lebanon on July 1.