Bengaluru: India defeated Lebanon 4-2 in penalties after an goalless end till the extra-time. Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is to be credited for the win in this semi-final that happened at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru.
India will face Kuwait at the same venue on July 4, to defend their SAFF Championship title. With Gurpreet saving the first Lebanon kick of Maatouk, the Blue Tigers’ confidence boosted up. Sunil Chhetri, Anwar Ali, Naorem Mahesh and Udanta Singh converted for India. Walid Shour and Mohamad Sadek netted two for Lebanon in the penalty shoot. Khalil Bader’s shot into the stands send India into the final of the Championship.
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Lebanon tried to break the Indian defence from the kick-off, with Mehtab Singh being positioned in place of Indian defence-wall Sandesh Jhingan. Jhingan along with Rahim Ali and coach Igor Stimac missed the match due to two bookings in the last match against Kuwait.
After weathering the early storm, India attempted to adjust the tempo of the game by keeping the ball and slowing the pace. While in possession, the Blue Tigers quickly changed their tactics, shifting Jeakson Singh back between the two centre-backs.
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Thapa received a pass on the left wing from Subhasish Bose and fired in a cross at the far post, where an onrushing Pritam Kotal headed the ball into the side netting.Minutes later, Sahal Abdul Samad earned a free kick in the opposing third, along with Thapa provided another peach of a throw that Subhasish hooked a head on, but the effort went wide.
With halftime approaching, Chhangte managed to elude his marker on the right and send in a low cross to the near post, but Lebanon custodian Mehdi Khalil was on there to gather it.Gurpreet saw action for the first time after the opening exchanges, just minutes before halftime, when he denied Maatouk another chance to put Lebanon ahead.
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India got off to a fast start in the second half. Near the hour mark, India assistant coach Mahesh Gawali made his first substitution, replacing Kotal with Nikhil Poojary.The majority of the second half was more muted, as both teams failed to get their attempts on target.
Chhangte tried out for India, whereas Farran tried out for Lebanon. Both attempts were fruitless.With little over 15 minutes remaining in regulation, Gawali threw three new players into the battle, replacing Thapa, Sahal, and Subhasish with Rohit Kumar, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Akash Mishra, respectively.
With three minutes remaining in normal time, India came within three minutes of grabbing the lead when a risky corner by Mahesh struck Zein on the head and the ball crashed into the post. In injury time, Udanta Singh came in to replace Ashique.
It was time to dig deep, and Sunil Chhetri, 38, did just that as he drove into the Lebanon box at the start of extra time, but Lebanon goalie Khalil stayed tall. Minutes later, the India captain fired over the crossbar from a cross from Udanta; the scores remained unaltered.
The tides turned in the second half of extra time, with Lebanon having a go at India. Substitute Khalil Bader had a crack from long range, sending his effort wide. Maatouk also got into a dangerous position for sending in a cross from the right, but Mehtab Singh was on hand to clear it.
However, India gradually managed to fight their way back, as Rohit launched a stunning counter-attack that saw Udanta enter the Lebanon box. As Khalil sprinted off his line to smother the ball, he sold a couple of stepovers before running out of real estate.
In injury time of extra time, Lebanon called in replacement custodian Ali Sabeh in place of Mehdi Khalil, anticipating the impending penalty shootout. As the referee sounded his whistle, the two sides ran out of time, forcing the match into the dreaded penalty shootout.
Gurpreet emerged as the hero between the sticks, denying Maatouk at full stretch to swing the tide of the shootout in India’s favour after Chhetri converted the opening with ease.
Mahesh sent Sabeh the wrong way, while Udanta hit the top corner. Shour and Sadek netted their kicks for Lebanon before Bader skied Lebanon’s fourth penalty to seal the deal for India.
