The Indian football team will be up against Nepal in the final of the SAFF Championship 2021 on Saturday, October 16 at the National Stadium in Male, Maldives. The Sunil Chhetri-led side survived a jittery start to book their place in the SAFF 2021 final for a record 12th time whereas Nepal are contesting in their first-ever final. India have won the SAFF Championship seven times. The Blue Tigers began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Bangladesh and failed to find the net against lower-ranked Sri Lanka in the second game, drawing 0-0. However, Igor Stimac’s men turned around their fortunes by defeating finalists Nepal 1-0 and followed it up with a 3-1 drubbing of defending champions Maldives to top the points table. Sunil Chhetri once again proved his importance to the team, scoring four goals out of India’s five in the tournament, including a brace in the must-win game against the Maldives. #SAAFFOOTBALL #SAAFFINAL #NEPALVSINDIA