SAFF Championship 2023: Indian players take centre stage in Team of the Tournament

The SAFF Championship remained witness to many records.

The 2023 SAFF Championship was a tournament filled with drama and ecstasy, and it was nothing short of an absolute spectacle for the thousands of home and away fans that witnessed the competition.

The tournament, which lasted for a total of 15 days, saw six nations from the SAFF, and two guest nations - Kuwait and Lebanon, battle it out for the SAFF Championship trophy. 

The 2023 SAFF Championship also witnessed the exhibition of pure footballing quality by some of the most outstanding footballers, who by their incredible abilities, made a substantial difference in their team’s fate.

So today, we take a look at such players who did an incredible job in their respective positions and rightfully earned a spot in Khel Now’s SAFF Championship 2023 Team of the Tournament.

Goalkeeper: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Despite not having won the award for the best goalkeeper, Gurpreet’s spot in the team of the tournament is inexorable. The Bengaluru FC goalkeeper was the reason behind India’s success, as the player stood like a wall in front of his goal, and made a number of incredible saves throughout the tournament.

Also, Gurpreet’s heroics in the shootout both in the final as well as the semi-final, is a further testament of the player’s rightful inclusion in the list.

Right-back: Nikhil Poojary

Nikhil was a beast on the wings for India. His exceptional passing and dribbling, added with his crossing abilities made him an indispensable part of Igor Stimac’s team. Not only this, the player also put in incredible defensive shifts against attacking teams like Kuwait and Lebanon. 

Also, Nikhil’s understanding with Chhangte on the right made a huge difference for the Blues, and most of India’s attacking gameplay was generated from that flank.

Centre-back: Khaled Hajiah

Kuwait had a heart-breaking end to their SAFF Championship campaign, as they lost out to India in the shootout of the finals. But the journey to this stage was an incredible one, and Hajiah was a major contributor to that. 

The 30-year-old centre-back was solid as rock for Kuwait throughout the competition, and ensured that Kuwait’s defence remained organised. Also, Hajiah did an incredible job in the finals, to keep Sunil Chhetri from getting any sight of the goal. The unfortunate incident with the Kuwait skipper was however, missing the last penalty in the finale!

Centre-back: Sandesh Jhingan

Sandesh Jhingan’s contribution to India’s title triumph was at par with Sunil’s, if not more. The player had an incredible campaign in the national colours, and not enough can be said about his excellent defensive traits. 

Sandesh made sure that India’s defense was solid as a rock throughout the tournament, and it was due to his exploits that India only conceded twice throughout the tournament (one of them was an own goal). 

Left-back: Akash Mishra

Akash had a fantastic SAFF Championship 2023, both individually as well as with the national team. The player cemented his place in the starting line-up, and dropped fantastic performances whenever he came on the pitch.

Akash’s defensive traits, added with the his control over the ball during his forward sprints, helped the Blue Tigers on both ends of the pitch.

Defensive midfielder: Jeakson Singh

Jeakson had a breakthrough campaign with the national team, as the Kerala Blasters midfielder made a name for himself, and made a significant rise in Igor’s picking order. 

Jeakson was solid in the midfield, and gave a lot of support to India’s defence. The player’s ability to find spaces, and beat off the opposition’s press made him the ideal fit in the defensive midfielder position, and his crisp forward passing was an icing on the cake.

Central midfielder: Ahmed Al-Dhefiri

Al-Dhefiri was Kuwait’s go-to man in midfield, and was one of their best players in the tournament. In Kuwait’s both games against India, Al-Dhefiri dropped in incredible shifts, and hugely impacted his team’s performances. 

His understanding of the game and top-notch ball control, made him an incredible inclusion in the midfield, and the player played a simple yet effective role.

Right Winger: Lallianzula Chhangte

Chhangte was a major driving force in the wings for India, and created an incredible amount of chances for the Blue Tigers from either flanks. The attacker also scored for the Blues in the final against Kuwait, and seldom disappointed with his performances. 

Attacking Midfielder: Hassan Maatouk

Lebanese attacker and skipper Hasan Maatouk was a symbol of non-stop work ethic and determination and was a prime instigator for the wonderful performance that his team displayed. 

The player had two goals to his name and was a constant threat on the field for any opponent. Also, in the semis against India, Hassan was one of the best players on the pitch and created several chances for his side.

Left Winger: Mohammad Daham

Mohammad Daham was an unstoppable unit for Kuwait from the wings. The 23-year-old had three goal contributions to his name, including a solitary goal and two assists. 

Daham was also very impressive from the left wing in the final, but unfortunately, his side weren't able to make anything out of their chances. 

Forward: Sunil Chhetri

The player of the tournament and the top goal-scorer awardee Sunil Chhetri was at his very best throughout the SAFF Championship 2023, as he gave the fans a true spectacle to witness. 

At the age of 38, Sunil played almost every minute of the tournament, and still gave his maximum efforts for the team at all times. 

His amazing goal-scoring ability, added with the impact he has on the pitch as well as in the dressing room, helped India substantially in their pursuit for the trophy. It is an absolute no-brainer, that the Indian skipper is a part of this list.