India beat Lebanon on penalties to make it to its ninth consecutive SAFF Championship final, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on July 1.
FOLLOW THE MATCH LIVE HERE: India vs Kuwait, SAFF Championship final LIVE
After 120 minutes of tense football, neither of the teams could find a breakthrough as spot-kicks ultimately determined the winner. Sunil Chhetri started the spot-kicks, scoring with ease and all Indian players followed suit, finding the net.
Lebanon’s captain Hassan Maatouk, however, missed the first penalty and then Khalil Bader skied the ball as the Cedars were sent packing in their maiden SAFF Championship campaign.
As India’s assistant coach Mahesh Gawli helped the team maintain its morale, head coach Igor Stimac could only watch from the stands after his suspension following a red card in the game before, against Kuwait.
Before the SAFF Championship final, the question thus arises whether Stimac will be able to step into the technical area for the final.
How many trophies has India won under Igor Stimac?
The SAFF Championship was Stimac’s first trophy for India when the Blue Tigers beat Nepal 3-1, two years ago.
Since then, he has won three two more trophies – the Tri-Nations Series in March 2023 and the Intercontinental Cup, earlier this month.
Will Igor Stimac be present in the dugout for the SAFF Championship final?
No. Igor Stimac, owing to his red card against Kuwait, completed his default one-match suspension, against Lebanon in the semifinal but has been penalised further by the disciplinary committee of the tournament.
The Croat has been handed a two-match ban and a fine of USD 500 (approximately 40,000 rupees), which means he will not be able to step in the dugout or technical area for the SAFF Championship final against Kuwait at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
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