SAFF Championship 2023: Sunil Chhetri backs Anwar Ali after own goal in Kuwait draw

Star Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri backed Anwar Ali after the centre-back conceded a late own goal in the draw against Kuwait in the last Group A game of the SAFF Championship 2023 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday (June 27).

Sunil Chhetri said nobody in the team is blaming Anwar Ali for conceding the own goal as they don't read much into technical mistakes during the match. The 38-year-old Indian skipper, who was substituted in the 81st minute by Rahim Ali, hoped that the defender won't take the mistake to his heart.

"It's not Anwar, it's the country, who conceded," said Sunil while interacting with the media after the match. "We didn't talk about it now (in the dressing room after the match) and we are professional enough not to talk about it. I hope the kid shrugged it off, we all have his back because this could happen to anyone.

"Technical mistake is something we don't read into much. Sometimes, I myself have missed some easy goals that I shouldn't have missed. Someday a defender will make a silly challenge and we will concede a penalty, these things happen in football. I am pretty sure we are going to work on it and its gone."

With the goal conceded, India's record eight-match clean-sheet streak also came to an end but India's unbeaten streak at home was stretched to 13 games. Speaking of the result, Sunil Chhetri said they have a bitter taste in their mouth after conceding a late goal that denied them a historic win over Kuwait as the last game between the side ended 9-1 in the Arab side's favour back in 2010.

"Right now feeling is off a loss after the way we conceded the late goal. We were all disheartened in the dressing room as we couldn't keep the clean sheet and the run ended. We are still on an unbeaten streak at home and will look to carry on with it,"" said Chhetri.

The Indian skipper also scored his 92nd international goal with an excellent volley following a delivery by Anirudh Thapa from the corner right before the end of the first half. Speaking of his record goal, Sunil Chhetri reiterated he doesn't care about personal milestone and will think and talk about it once he hangs his boot.

Chhetri also distant himself from the touchline controversy, which saw another red card for coach Igor Stimac, saying he wasn't in the midst of the incident when it happened.