India beat Afghanistan 2-1 to lift SAFF Cup title for 7th time

India though were unlucky not to have gone ahead in the 14th minute when striker Jeje Lalpekhlua's header came back after hitting the crossbar to the agony of the home supporters at the Greenfield Stadium.

As early as the seventh minute, India custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had to stretched full length to his right to stopped a Mustafa Zazai shot on target. Four minutes later, he made another save from a shot by Afghan captain Faysal Shayesteh for a corner.

Egged on by the big home crowd, India began to pile pressure on Afghan defence and could have taken the lead in the 14th minute, only to be denied by the woodwork. Jeje played the ball for Holicharan Narzary whose cross struck the trailing legs of Afghan player Zubayr Amiri and came off goalkeeper Ovays Azizi. Jeje's header on the rebound hit the crossbar and came back into play and captain Sunil Chhetri could not get on the end of it.

That was the best chance of either side in the first 45 minutes though Chhetri had another go at the Afghan goal in the 33rd minute but his left-footer after chesting sown a fine floater from Eugeneson Lyngdoh was blocked by the goalkeeper.

Both sides did not make any changes at the resumption and India applied pressure in the first 15 minutes of the second half and nearly took the lead in the 56th minute, to be denied against by the woodwork. Chhetri played the ball for Jeje who spotted the goalkeeper off his line. But his left-footed 'chip' struck the horizontal and went out of play. Afghanistan then had some fine moves in the Indian half and made some threatening crosses but the home side defence were able to clear them.

But they were not to be denied in the 69th minute with Zubayr Amiri giving Afghanistan the lead. Faysal's pass sneaked past Arnab Mondal and an overlapping Amiri's left footer beat Gurpreet before crashing into the Indian net.
India struck back immediately with Jeje bringing the scoreline on level terms in the 72nd minute.

Narzary crossed the ball into the box which was headed by Chhetri. Jeje came behind Afghan defender Sayedh Hashemi and slotted the ball into the far corner of the net. Hashemi expected goalkeeper Azizi to come off his line and collect. Both players looking at each other in disbelief.

India threatened to take the lead towards the end of the match but Afghan goalkeeper were upto the task to deny them. First, he tipped over Narayan Das' long range effort in the 84th minute after the Indian player saw the goalkeeper off his line, and then saved Chhetri's right footer from a free-kick.

The match went into the extra time and talismanic captain Chhetri scored the winner. Chhetri got the better of Afghan defender Hashemi and he kept his balance intact before sending his low right-footed sliding shot into the corner of the net to the wild jubilation of the home crowd.