BENGALURU: India assistant coach Mahesh Gawli, who added the SAFF Championship to his collection on Tuesday as the coach of the India team, after winning the trophy twice as a player, was happy with the rare double and lauded the efforts of Sandesh Jhingan and Sahal Abdul Samad for India's fine show.
"It was my first time as coach (in the last few games) and I'm very happy that we won. I will continue to work to help the country do well," a beaming Gawli told reporters.
Analyzing the game, Gawli said: "This Kuwait team is good. It was a good match and both teams had their chances. We were a little bit off colour for the first 10 minutes but then we took control of the match."
Asked about the tough time after conceding an early goal, Gawli said he believed in his boys. "It was a big final and the boys were a bit desperate after Kuwait took the lead. I told them to be calm and cool," he said. "We had superior fitness and that helped. We could see the Kuwaiti players struggle with their fitness. It's a wonderful victory. It shows that we are consistent."
