Finally. After a wretched 2015, the Indian football team brought a few smiles back to Indians' faces, defeating the defending champions – and a higher-ranked – Afghanistan in a pulsating final to win the SAFF Cup in Thiruvananthapuram.

Ranked sixteen places above the Blue Tigers, Afghanistan were the favourites coming into the final, having defeated the Tigers in the 2013 edition. However, egged on by a capacity crowd, India started out strongly and could have even taken the lead in the 14th minute as Jeje Lalpekhlua hit the crossbar.

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But after a goalless first half where the honours were more or less shared, it was Afghanistan that took the lead in the 70th minute as Zubayr Amiri slipped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.

However, India did not wilt. Two minutes later, they shot back into the match thanks to some lovely combination play between captain Sunil Chhetri and Lalpekhlua. Chhetri, the Indian captain headed a cross to Lalpekhlua, who finally put the ball in the net after hitting the crossbar twice.

As the minutes ticked on, India were by far the better team, creating a number of chances. The game went into extra-time, and finally Chhetri delivered the winning blow personally, taking advantage of a mistake by the Afghani defence to slide home a long ball from Lalpekhlua.

The celebrations were momentous – after all, not often does India win against a team ranked higher than them in football, and that too in a final. For beleaguered coach Stephen Constantine, the victory comes as a measure of relief.