Fierce rivals in a race for the crown

'A fiery clash': three words which summed up the match between India and Kuwait that ended in a 1-1 draw exactly a week ago.

Come Tuesday evening, the two nations are set to revive their rivalry in the final of the SAFF Championship here at the Sree Kanteerava stadium.

Kuwait’s coach, Rui Bento, denied employing ploys such as rough tackles and angry verbal exchanges. “I don't think we were physical against India in the last game. I think it was the opposite,” he claimed during a press interaction on Monday.

The Blue Tigers had done well to tackle such antics until the west Asians managed to get on their nerves in the final few moments that saw the hosts conceding a goal. A mistake that Mahesh Gawli, in the coach’s shoes in place of head coach Igor Stimac, and his team will be hoping to avoid.

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“The last two matches (against Lebanon in semifinals and Kuwait before that) were heated encounters. We have spoken to the boys to be calm and cool,” said Gawli.

“They are a very good side. It is tough to break them. If we don't do our thing for 10 seconds, they will find an opening to score. Kuwait have definitely been the toughest side we have faced in the last nine to ten international matches,” expressed Sandesh Jhingan.

The star defender will be back in action after missing out the Lebanon tie due to the two accumulated yellow cards against Pakistan and Kuwait. He, along with Anwar Ali and Mehtab Singh, are confident of continuing their good run of guarding their fort. The defence department - which has given away just one goal in the last 10 matches - has been the brightest spot for the Indians in recent times.

Though Gawli confirmed there were no fitness issues in the Indian team, there are a few concerns over Sunil Chhetri's presence in the playing eleven as he was seen limping towards the end of semifinals.

Winning a second title on the trot is the goal, but the bigger purpose for the lot will be to contribute to the growth of the game and perhaps write their story in the folklore of Indian football.

The sports' history that dates back to 19th century has had its fair share of mostly-downs with flashes of ups. From a team playing barefoot at the 1948 London Olympics to a fourth-place finish at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, to some outstanding individual performers in substandard teams and corrupt administrative systems marring its development.

All things considered, the current national side looks more like a unit, the likes of which we have not seen before, and the common narrative among loyalists is that: 'our time to shine is here'.