SAFF Championship: Sunil Chhetri and Co ready to get one up against Lebanon once more

There was an air of confidence in the way Sunil Chhetri handled himself in a Bengaluru hotel, during the pre-match media conference on Friday.

For years, Chhetri has called the city his home, as he plys his trade for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League. Over the past week though, he’s switched the blue for his club to that of the national team, and has now skippered them to the semi-final of the 2023 SAFF Championship, being held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

On Saturday, India will be aiming to get one over Lebanon once again as the two teams face off at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in the 2023 SAFF Championship semi-final.

“There are two games left, potentially, and we want to give whatever we have in these two games,” Chhetri said, matter-of-factly. “So, that’s the kind of mood that the camp has.”

Both India and Lebanon countries have played seven games in the span of a month, two against each other including the recently concluded Intercontinental Cup final in Bhubaneswar on June 18.

Winning their last meeting helped India overtake Lebanon in the rankings. For the first time in five years, India has broken back into the top 100. They’re now ranked 100, two ahead of Lebanon,...

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