India defeated Lebanon in the semi-final of SAFF Championship 2023.
The match ended 0-0 after 120 minutes.
India secured a 4-2 win in the penalty shootout.
All of India's penalty takers scored, with goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu making an excellent save.
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India vs Lebanon Live: Euphoric Eruption in Bengaluru
INDIA ARE INTO THE FINALS!
What an exemplary display of character and composure this has been from the Blue Tigers. When the chips were down, with Lebanon taking the game to the penalties, Sunil Chhetri and his teammates came up trumps.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu deserves a special mention. Had it not been for his consecutive saves early on in the game, it could have been curtains for the hosts before the match even started.
The defence also proved to be unbreachable on the face of numerous Lebanese counter-attacks, and whilst the attackers could not come up with goals in 120 minutes of frantic footballing action, they wouldn't care less about it now.
India have qualified for the final of SAFF Championship 2023, and that will remain as the solitary outcome of any significance from tonight's fixture.
It has been a pleasure to watch what was a free-flowing, thoroughly enthralling and comprehensively compelling game of football, and we hope you enjoyed the coverage too.
The final awaits. 4 July, 7:30pm, up against Kuwait. Mark your calendars. Go drop the leave application now.
Till then, take care.
India vs Lebanon Live: ENDGAME
Penalties. India to take first.
IND 1-0 LBN. Sunil Chhetri scores.
IND 1-0 LBN. Hassan Maatouk misses. Save from Gurpreet.
SREE KANTEERAVA ERUPTS IN JUBILATION!
IND 2-0 LBN. Anwar Ali scores.
IND 2-1 LBN. Walid Shour scores.
IND 3-1 LBN. Naorem Mahesh Singh scores.
IND 3-2 LBN. Omar Sadek scores.
IND 4-2 LBN. Udanta Singh scores.
IND 4-2 LBN. Khalil Bader fires high.
INDIA WIN!
India vs Lebanon Live: Penalties!
120+3' On to the shootouts.
There we go. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Ali Sabeh and the other twenty players of the pitch – one of them will etch his name in books of history. Someone will also end up as the unluckiest of the lot.
Heroes, villains and all of that sort, to be made very soon.
India vs Lebanon Live: Another Save From Lebanon GK
120' SAVE!
Mahdi Khalil has been immense for Lebanon. Lallianzuala Chhangte finds himself in space down the left flank and he goes for glory, but the Al-Faisaly goalkeeper comes up with yet another save, this time with his leg.
Meanwhile, there is a substitution from Ilic. That will be Khalil's last contribution, as he is replaced by the Cedars' penalty shootout specialist, Ali Sabeh.