India vs Kuwait Highlights, SAFF Championship 2023 Final: India beat Kuwait 5-4 on penalties to win record 9th title

34' - Bad news for India! Anwar Ali is down as he holds his calf muscle. The medical team had a look at the injury and Anwar is being taken away on a stretcher.

29' - YELLOW Card for Jhingan. He tries to head a free-kick but fouls Alharbi in the process. The referee is quick to show Jhingan the first card of the match.

23' - India midfielders lacking urgency at the moment. They have got to step up after being a goal down. Sahal has been a slow starter and the tackles too have not been good enough and clean from India.

19' - Sunil Chhetri with a fires in from the centre of the box as the ball goes straight into the hands of Kuwait goalkeeper.

GOALLLL! Kuwait strike in the 15th minute to take 1-0 lead. Al Feneeni gets the ball moving. Albloushi cuts back to find Alkhaldi in the open, who shoots to the right of the net to give Kuwait early lead. India 1-0 Kuwait

9' - Abdullah fires in a shot from distance and it hits Poojary on the way. Kuwait earn their first corner which is cleared by the the Indian defence with ease.

6' - Kuruniyan gets in the cross from left but is cleared by the Kuwait defence. India get the first corner of the contest. Thapa takes it and it is punched clear by the goalkeeper.

4' - Akash with the cross from the left and India skipper goes in with the header. The ball goes straight into the hands of the Kuwaiti goalkeeper.

2' - Kuwait's Albloushi is down after a tackle inside the Indian half. Nothing serious! India get the free kick.

KICK-OFF! Sahal get the ball rolling for India. Sunil Chhetri and co. attacking from right to left in the first half.

Players from both the teams are out in the middle along with the match officials for the national anthems. Kuwait's national anthem to go first followed by India's Jana Gana Mana. We are just moments away from the start! India players sporting the red outfits. Kuwait players are in blue jerseys.

Players from both the teams are out in the middle warming up ahead of the start. Indian players were welcomed on the pitch with the thunderous roar and applause from the fans.

After scoring in three successive matches in the group stage, Sunil Chhetri was not able to find the back of the net in the semis against Lebanon. Of course, he converted a penalty in the shootout, but the striker would like to make a heftier contribution in the summit clash.

Head coach Igor Stimac will be absent from the Indian dug out in this match as well after he was slapped with two-match ban by the SAFF disciplinary committee. Stimac had received his second red card of the tournament during the match against Kuwait. Earlier, he was slapped with a red card in India's tournament opener against Pakistan.

In the final, India will be boosted by the return of key defender Sandesh Jhingan. He had missed the semifinal against Lebanon owing to two accumulated yellow cards against Pakistan and Kuwait. Anwar Ali had replaced Jhingan in the line-up against Lebanon in the semifinals, and he did an excellent job in thwarting Lebanese advances.

Both India and Kuwait start the final with impressive unbeaten records. The hosts are yet to face defeat this year while Kuwait are undefeated in their last 10 games, after beginning the year with a 1-2 loss to Qatar.

India were stretched to a penalty shootout by Lebanon in the semifinals before winning 4-2, while Kuwait had to wait till extra time to eke out a 1-0 victory over Bangladesh.

Defending champions India would look to preserve a proud record and add a ninth title to their shelf as they take on a tough Kuwait side in the finale. This will be the second time India will face Kuwait in the tournament. They had played out a 1-1 draw in an acrimonious Group A match last week.