Top five best moments in 2023 for the Indian Football Team

India went on to win their record ninth SAFF Championship title this year.

2023 was one of the most happening season in the history of Indian Football. Be it the Indian Super League, the I-league, the Super Cup or the historic Durand Cup, we saw and enjoyed it all this year.

The Indian national men’s football team were also heavily involved on the international stage and put up a very good performance in this calendar year. It was an historic year for the Blue Tigers as they won three titles in less than four months. It was a year filled with silverware, iconic moments and many more.

On that note, let us take a look at the Top 5 moments for the Indian National men’s team.

Igor Stimac’s contract renewal

India’s head coach Igor Stimac was awarded with a two year contract extension that will run until June 2026. The Croat’s four years of hard work behind the scenes finally paid off as the Blue Tigers became a completely different side.

They’ve now started to play free flowing attacking football which is very fun to watch. The results have gone in their favour this year as they remained unbeaten in 12 out of 16 games this year. Moreover, they also won nine games and drew three while maintaining a very strong record at home. 

Tri-Nation Series triumph

The Blue Tigers began their year with the Tri-Nation Series triumph in Manipur. India being the home side were the favourites going into the tournament and they did live up everyone’s expectations by emerging as the eventual winners.

India began its campaign with a 1-0 win over Myanmar where Anirudh Thapa scored the only goal of the campaign. And then they shocked everyone by defeating a highly ranked Kyrgyzstan as Sandesh Jhingan and Sunil Chhetri found the back of the net. It was India’s second title which now makes them the most successful team in the history of the competition. 

Qualification to the knockouts of the 2023 Asian Games

The Blue Tigers secured qualification to the Round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Games after a motivating display during the group stages despite all the ups and downs. India qualified for the knockouts for the first time in 13 years making it even more special.

Igor Stimac’s side won their group stage game against Bangladesh and played out a 1-1 draw after their opening day defeat to hosts China. India played a makeshift team throughout the campaign and still managed to reach the knockouts before crashing out against Saudi Arabia.

Historic World Cup Qualifier win against Kuwait

Igor Stimac and his Blue Tigers created history on the 16th November in Kuwait City as they began their 2026 World Cup Qualifiers with a decisive win over hosts Kuwait. It was India’s first win away from home in more than two years which made it even more special.

Manvir Singh scored the only goal of the game when his left footed strike found the back of the net in the 75th minute. It was a remarkable win for India considering their poor away form in the last few years. 

2023 SAFF Championship triumph

The most special moment of 2023 for the Indian national men’s team would certainly be the 2023 SAFF Championship Triumph. What a night it was at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru as India faced off against Kuwait in the ultimate game. The away side opened the scoring before Lallianzuala Chhangte restored parity in style for his nation. 

The game then went into penalties and India secured its record ninth SAFF Championship title making it the most successful nation in the history of the competition. It was certainly the best game for India in the whole of 2023 for multiple reasons. Their performance on the field coupled with the fans’ enthusiasm in the stands made it an exceptional night of football.

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