Credit: Twitter

Credit: Twitter

India secured their place in the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship 2023 with a 2-0 win over Nepal in their second Group A match at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. Sunil Chhetri (61') and Mahesh Singh (70') scored for the hosts, who also registered their eighth consecutive clean sheet in international matches. The Blue Tigers finished the group stage unbeaten as they played a 1-1 draw against Kuwait in their final group stage game.

India, who had thrashed Pakistan 4-0 in their opening match, are second in the group behind Kuwait, who have scored more goals. Kuwait defeated Pakistan 4-0 on Saturday, June 24, and faced India in their final group game on Tuesday which ended as a 1-1 draw. Both teams have already qualified for the last four of the tournament.

India will take on Lebanon, who topped Group B with three wins out of three, in the semi-finals on July 1. Lebanon beat Bhutan 4-1, Bangladesh 2-0, and Maldives 1-0 to have a perfect record and a goal difference of +6 in the group stage. The other semi-final will see Kuwait clash with Maldives or Bangladesh, whoever finishes second in Group B. Bangladesh are expected to qualify for the semi-finals as they are levelled on points with Maldives but have a better goal difference with one game remaining.

India, who are the defending champions and the second highest-ranked team in the tournament after Lebanon, will be aiming to win their ninth SAFF Championship title and their third in a row. The Blue Tigers have been unbeaten in their last 19 competitive matches scoring 34 goals and conceding just five goals.

India's head coach Igor Stimac, who was suspended for the Nepal match, expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance and said that the tournament will help them prepare for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar next year. "We are very happy to host the SAFF tournament, and as such, we need to behave and act as the favourites to win it. Playing against Kuwait and Lebanon should help us in our preparations for the AFC Cup and our boys are really excited, and determined to do well," he said.

The real hurdle for India will begin in the semi-finals when they take on Lebanon on Saturday. India has a close head-to-head record against Lebanon, but the former have a slight edge. In the eight games played between the two teams, Lebanon have won three games whereas India have won two. Three games have resulted in a draw, hence an exciting semi-final is expected. Skipper Sunil Chhetri who has been in superb form throughout the tournament will be the key for India.