India won the 'SAFF Bangabandhu Football Championship' for the ninth time after defeating Kuwait 5-4 in the penalty shootout
The Indian football team, popularly known as the Blue Tigers, has won the SAFF Bangabandhu Football Championship for the ninth time after defeating Kuwait 5-4. India won the final via a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw in regulation time at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh once again proved to be the hero for the Indian team, saving a goal from the Kuwait captain's final kick. The Indian team made it to the final after defeating Lebanon in the semi-finals, while Kuwait beat Bangladesh 1-0 in the other last-four encounter.
India, ranked 100th in the latest FIFA rankings, won the ninth SAFF Championship out of 14 editions. The win marked their second consecutive victory after winning the Intercontinental Cup the previous month.
India remained undefeated during the SAFF Championship 2023, serving as the host. They beat Pakistan and Nepal in the group stage while drawing with Kuwait.
The Indian team received a cash prize of USD 50,000 and the Kuwait football team received USD 25,000 for being the runners-up.
Tournament Winner
Golden Boot, Golden Ball - Sunil Chhetri
Man of the Match (Final) - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Golden Glove - Anisur Rahman Zico (Bangladesh)
Fairplay Award - Nepal Football Team
SAFF Football Championship
The SAFF Football Championship, also known as the South Asian Football Federation Championship, is a biennial international football tournament contested by the national teams of South Asian countries. India has been the winner so far 9 times - 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023.
1993: The SAFF Championship was inaugurated in Lahore, Pakistan. India became the champion by defeating the hosts Pakistan in the final. 2021 championship was held in Maldives, and Nepal was the runner-up.
