Gurpreet Singh Sandhu credits teammates for SAFF Championship win

INDIAN GOALKEEPER Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's heroic penalty save against Lebanon during the shootouts ensured India's place in the SAFF Championship final.

After a 120 minute roller-coster of a match during which Gurpreet's safe hands denied Lebanon's offence a chance to score multiple times, the heavy burden of saving India's campaign fell on his shoulders; and he executed the task with perfection.

Speaking to reporters after the match ended, he had a more academic approach while reflecting on what he had just accomplished, 

"As a goalkeeper, all I want to do is make the penalty-taker's job tough. I try to stay big until the last moment, choose a side and get a hand to the ball. You can't save every penalty. But you try to know what the taker is thinking. Someone will try to trick you, someone will come with a pre-decided shot. The experience and physicality help. If I was five-foot-four, I wouldn't have saved that penalty."

Perhaps, his somewhat detached way of analysing his performance provides a clue into what helped him keep his calm during the high-pressure penalty shootout.

The long time national team first choice keeper was also keen on sharing the credit with his teammmates for the win,

"Playing at the Kanteerava, my Bengaluru FC home ground, in national team colours is always special. I'm really proud of the grit, determination and fight the boys have shown... we're lucky to have such good penalty-takers in our team, which helps during training."

The fans, who are expected to show up in record-breaking numbers at the Kanteerava on Tuesday when India face Kuwait for the SAFF Championship title, will hope that their favourite shot-stopper emerges as the show-stopper once again.

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