India vs Kuwait, SAFF Championship Final Highlights: IND win 9th title, beat KUW on penalties in thrilling final

27 mins: Samad with a foul on Al Nezi and the latter can't carry on any more. He is replaced by Hamad Al Harbi. Meanwhile the Indian players had surrounded the referee who is getting busier with each passing minute.

We have just about played 25 minutes in this match but it already looks like one spark away from exploding into a total melee. The latest spark plug is the coming together between Pujary and Alenezi after the latter's foul on the Indian.

Sahal with a foul that gives Kuwait a free kick near the halfway line. India have stepped up their efforts in midfield in the wake of that goal, they have arguably been the better team since they conceded, which means nothing of course if they don't score but it is a step in the right direction. Kuwait still have more steady possession though. 

17 mins: What a response that is from India. Long cross field ball taken down by Chhangte on the left, Chhetri then unleashes a shot first time from just outside the box. It had a lot of venom and the Kuwaiti goalkeeper just about keeps it out, Chhangte runs at the loose ball and is crowded out by Marzouq and Hajiah. 

It has been coming. Kuwait break after India lose possession at breakneck speed, the ball squared in to Alkhaldi who was unmarked in the Indian box, he turns it in and there was snothing Sandhu could do about that. 

Kuwait with a steady period of posession now and India are chasing the ball a bit inside their own half. The away side seem to have settled better than India have thus far.

Both sides unable to get any meaningful posesssion thus far but Kuwait have seen more of the ball thus far. It has been quick but no real threats to either goal. 

3 mins: Kuwait make the first attacking move, intercepted by Thapa, Ashique comes together with Albloushi while competing for the ball. The Kuwaiti looks to be in pain but is able to get past it in a few seconds.

India kick it off, they are attacking from right to left for this first half. The stadium is not quite filled to the brim but it is an atmosphere to savour nonetheless.  

The two sets of teams have made their way out for their national anthems. India are in their orange away jerseys while Kuwait are in blue. First comes Kuwait's national anthem, and then India's. 

Kuwait first beat Nepal 3-1 followed by a 4-0 win over Pakistan. The 1-1 draw with India helped them finish the first stage as group winners and they then beat Bangladesh 1-0 in the semis.

India started off with a 4-0 hammering of Pakistan, followed by a 2-0 win over Nepal. Then came the hedonistic 1-1 draw against Kuwait. The semi-final against Lebanon was goalless after extra time and India ended up taking it on penalties.

Stimac can do nothing more than sit in the VIP seats and watch today. But before that, he could be seen hugging each of the Indian players as they made their way out of the bus and into the stadium complex.

India have made it to the final of the SAFF Championship 12 times before this. They have lost the match just four times once they get there.

Big cheers for India as they come out, as one would expect. Kuwait, meanwhile, are greeted with a more lukewarm sort of applause peppered with a few boos.

Marzouq, Albloushi, Hajiah, Al Anezi, Al Qallaf, Al Enezi, Al Dhefeery, Abujabarah, Abdullah, Al Khaldi, Al Faneeni

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sunil Chhetri, Ashique Kuruniyan.

Stimac had put out a post on his social media handles yesterday. “Before tomorrow’s final, I just want to say thank you to all the boys for working extremely hard over the last 2 months You have given your all and sacrificed so much for this team. Me and THE ENTIRE COUNTRY COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF YOU Lets win another TOGETHER,” he said. 

“The system is what gets the best out of any player. So the credit goes to the coaches. I don't if anyone talks about it but they should talk about it, Mahesh bhai was one of the best defenders India ever had. We all look up to him and now we work with him. So when anyone says that any of us is doing well, the credit goes to Mahesh bhai. Those small inputs he gives us, which foot to go forward, which to go back, it's all about the team and how everyone builds together. The script is what matters and the training is the most important bit. Regardless of whether I am there or not the system stays and the players will perform because we have a strong base to build up on.”

India have shuffled around their back line, including the goalkeeper, in every single match this tournament. However, while that normally indicates weaknesses and instability, this has ended up becoming a source of strength for the side. Both Sandesh Jhingan and Rahim Ali will be in contention for selection tonight. Jhingan gave credit for the success of the system to the coaching staff led by Stimac and Gawli, both of whom were fantastic centre backs in their playing days. 

“It was a tense affair last time out against Kuwait... We've spoken to the boys to be calm and cool and direct all the focus on winning the final. It will be a totally different game.”

Gawli won the SAFF Championship twice as a player but feels the final-to-come will be the toughest yet. "This one is going to be more difficult [to win]. Kuwait are a good opponent, and the competition has been tough. Back then, we only played against SAFF teams," he said. "Winning in Karachi in 2005 was very enjoyable, but if we win tomorrow, the joy will be of a different level."

Mahesh Gawli didn't shy away from admitting that there is pressure on India. They have won this tournament on a canter a number of times in the past but this won't be like that. Kuwait have shown how tough they are and moreover, India "want to win at home", said Gawli.

In case you didn't notice, India head coach Igor Stimac has two red cards to his name in this tournament. He won't have any more, not because he has taken a solemn oath to not interfere with play but because he has been suspended for the rest of the tournament. Considering the fact that this is a country in which a club went and shut down its women's team project because of the fines incurred after a men's coach's rash actions during last season's ISL, Stimac didn't really set the greatest of examples but it all only added to the theatre of the last match between these two sides. 

The last time these two sides met, there was practically everything you could imagine to see in a football, despite both sides having qualified at that point and only fighting for the top spot in the group. This one now is for the trophy itself and so one doesn't have to explain why we can expect a high octane fixture. India have come into this final the hard way, beating the formidable Lebanon on penalties. Kuwait, meanwhile beat Bangladesh 1-0 in their semi-final. Kuwait are known to be a physical side, wonder how much difference the extra India had to put in their semis fixture will make today. Let's sink out teeth into this!