Introduction

India national football team vs Kuwait national football team: Cricket is indeed the most popular sport among the audience of India. However, Football is another sport that has emerged as very popular in the last few decades in India. meanwhile, India also has a national football team that competes overseas. From the year 2023 to this year in 2024, the India national football team has had multiple chances of competing with the Kuwait national football team. Moreover, each competition between these two national teams have been very captivating for the audiences around the world.

Without a doubt, whenever these two teams are face to face on the field the spirit of competition is indeed very intense. Consequently, there is no lack of entertainment for the fans. Further, in this blog you are going to find everything related to the India national football team vs Kuwait national football team. And, information related to their key players, recent matches and more will also be included.

An overview of “India national football team vs Kuwait national football team”

The sport of football has definitely become very relevant in both nations India and Kuwait. As a result, many aspiring and ambitious players from both the countries have been emerging in the world of football. Players on both sides showcased their skills. Indeed, these players have mastered a lot of aspects of the game which was very visible in the clashes that were witnessed. And, both the teams have been very active in the international professional football for a long time. Now, lets take a look at the existing history between the India national football team and the Kuwait national football team.

Iconic history between both the teams – “India national football team vs Kuwait national football team”

Undeniably, the history that exists between the national teams of India and Kuwait is very rich with intense gameplay. There are many encounters that have taken place between these two teams. Most of these encounters happened during a variety of regional tournaments. For Example, the AFC Asian Cup along with other friendly matches. Following is a brief point by point revisit to the history of these two teams together:

• Without a doubt, the first ever encounter between these two national football teams happened back in the year 1978. To be specific, it was during the 1978 AFC Asian Cup qualification. Evidently, the national football team of Kuwait managed to dominate India’s team and won the match.
• The next face off between these two teams happened during the 1982 AFC Asian Cup. Indeed, Kuwait again won the match by overpowering India. after winning this match, Kuwait happened to go the finals of the series.
• Many more friendly matches happened between the 1990s and 2000s which were equally entertaining and intense. However, still the national football team of India couldn’t dominate Kuwait. Indeed, Kuwait’s team very consistently taking wins.
• Lastly, in the 2006 AFC Challenge Cup these two teams again crossed paths. The victory was again claimed by the players of Kuwait National Football team.

Essential information about the “India national football team” (India national football team vs Kuwait national football team)

This national football team of India also gets referred to by their popular nickname i.e., The Blue Tigers. Evidently, this team is known to be affiliated and associated with the All-India Football Federation (AIFF). And, the confederation is AFC (Asia). Whereas, the sub-confederation is SAFF (South Asia). Currently, the head coach of this team is known to be Manolo Marquez. And, the captain of this team as of now is Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Most Caps have been acquired by Sunil Chhetri from the national football team of India. in addition, Sunil Chettri is also the top scorer from the team having the score of 94.

Essential information about the “Kuwait national football team”

This team is also known by their nicknames including The Blue and The Blue Wave. It is associated with Kuwait Football Association. Evidently, the confederation is AFC (Asia). And, the sub-confederation is WAFF (West Asia). Currently, Jean Louis-Gasset is the head coach of this team. And, the captain of this team is named Fahad Al Hajeri. Most caps in this team have been indeed acquired by the player named Bader Al-Mutawa (196 caps). Whereas, Bashar Abdullah is the top scorer with the score of 75.

‘Key Players’ of the India national football team (India national football team vs Kuwait national football team)

SUNIL CHHETRI:

• His position is known to be as a forward player.
• Evidently, Sunil’s club is Bengaluru FC.
• Indeed, he even used to be the former captain of the team.
• Lastly, he is also regarded as the most skilled goal scorers to have emerged from the national team of India.

SANDESH JHINGAN:

• Without a doubt, he is a player who plays defence.
• His club is indeed FC Goa.
• A key player known for his tackling defence abilities. Meanwhile, he also has a variety of leadership qualities.

‘Key Players’ of the Kuwait national football team (India national football team vs Kuwait national football team)

FAHAD AL-ENEZI:

• His position in the team is of a winger.
• Evidently, his club is known to be Al-Nasr SC (Kuwait).
• He is indeed most popular for his dribbling style, pace and creativity on the field.

BADER AL-MUTAWA:

• His position is certainly Forward.
• Evidently, his club is known to be Qadsia SC.
• In fact, he is also the most capped football player in the history of football.

SAFF Championship (Group Stage) – 27^th June 2023

On 27th June 2023, a very entertaining match took place between the national teams of India and Kuwait. Both teams had 1 goal each by the end of the match. Therefore, this match was concluded as a draw. But this was not the end because both teams collide again in the final of the same tournament.

SAFF Championship (Final) – 4th July 2023 (India national football team vs Kuwait national football team)

Evidently, this was the final match of the SAFF Championship. Without a doubt, out of all the four matches discussed here in this blog, this one is the most dramatic, intense and engaging. Basically, this match also ended up in a draw between India and Kuwait. Both teams certainly scored 1 goal each. However, the result of this match did not remain draw. A decision was made to conclude the match with the help of a penalty shootout. Thereafter, Kuwait won the match.

World Cup Qualifiers (Second Round) – 16^th November 2023 (India national football team vs Kuwait national football team)

The final match between the two teams happened specifically on 16^th November 2023. In this match, India evidently managed to emerge victorious. Specifically, India scored 1 goal and Kuwait scored none. This was indeed a very significant match.

World Cup Qualifiers (Second Round) – 6^th June 2024 (India national football team vs Kuwait national football team)

In the second round of the SAFF Championship (Group Stage), these two teams collided with each other. To be specific, this happened on the 6th June 2024. Evidently, in the end the results of this match were basically a “draw”. And, no goals were scored from either side.

Conclusion

Indeed, football is a well-recognized and relevant sport in both these countries. That is why talented players have been emerging out of these two regions. And, the players who have managed to make it to their countries’ national football teams have certainly achieved something commendable. It just does not end there; the players constantly work on their skills and performance. The hard work was definitely visible in the encounters between the national football teams of Kuwait and India.

[AUTHOR- PIYUSH CHAUHAN]