SAFF Championship Final: India need to stay 'calm and cool' in the game against Kuwait, says Mahesh Gawli

India take on a physical and aggressive Kuwait in the final of the SAFF Championship 2023 in Bengaluru on Tuesday. India have already won two trophies in 2023 – Tri-Nation Friendly Tournament in Manipur in March and the Intercontinental Cup 2023 in Bhubaneshwar in June. But for the SAFF Cup, the Blue Tigers face the tough challenge of beating a Western Asian team. SAFF Cup: India neutralise Kuwait threat with flair and fearlessness The group stage match between India and Kuwait finished in a 1-1- draw. Sunil Chhetri opened the scoring in the match but an own goal from Anwar Ali in the extra-time allowed Kuwait to salvage a point. Kuwait employed the aggressive strategy of heavy tackles to disrupt an in-form India’s game plan in the previous match and are expected to follow the same tactics in the final. The group match saw India coach Igor Stimac and striker Rahim Ali receive a red card each. SAFF Championship Final: Head-to-head, live streaming and TV broadcast Assistant coach Mahesh Gawli will handle the touchline duties during the final and the former India defender said that the management has asked the players to remain calm in the final and focus on the job at hand. “The last match against Kuwait was very heated. But we have spoken to the boys and asked them to be calm and cool because it is a game, and we have to win,” Gawli said during the pre-match press conference. India defender Sandesh Jhingan cautioned the home team about the strengths of the Gulf nation but added that the “sky is the limit” for the Blue Tigers. “Our focus is now on Kuwait, it is going to be a tough game. They are a very good team. They have an experienced coach. We are looking forward to it. We have done well together and sky is the limit for this batch,” said Jhingan who missed the semi-final against Lebanon due to the two accumulated yellow cards. “They have very technical players, and individually, they are also good. About their (FIFA)ranking (141), everyone knows that they aren’t where they should be. If you don’t do your thing for 10 seconds, they score against you.” The defender praised his replacement Mehtab Singh for his performance as India kept a clean sheet in the semi-final. “I missed being on the field (against Lebanon) like any other footballer. I don’t want to miss the big games. But the team did really well, and I don’t think I was missed much. Mehtab Singh did well and Anwar Ali did well, and the entire backline did well,” he said. “It is all about team philosophy and unity. I was personally confident that we will get through to the final.” India have won all Cup finals at home since 2005 and it’s a record that they would want to defend. “There is pressure because we want to win. The team is doing very well and I hope they play the same as they were doing,” Gawli said. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .