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Hosts India lock horns against defending champions Afghanistan in the grand finale of SAFF Suzuki Cup 2015. The match, which is expected to attract sizeable amount of supporters into Greenfield Stadium, Trivandrum, is the third consecutive SAFF Suzuki Cup final matchup between these two teams. 

India defeated Sri Lanka and Nepal in the group stage to meet Maldives in the semis. An entertaining clash against the island nation saw the hosts come out the better of the two sides in a 3-2 win.

Afghanistan have dominated all of their games so far in the tournament. They came out comfortable victors against Bhutan and Bangladesh in the group stage, before thrashing Sri Lanka 5-0 in the semi final on December 31.

India have managed to reach the final without the presence of key players like SandeshJhingan and Calvin Lobo. Stephen Constantine has placed a massive amount of trust in youngsters and so far they have repaid him with terrific displays. In addition to LallianzualaChhangte whose brace against Nepal made him an overnight sensation among Indian fans, Rowling Borges and Hali CharanNarzary in particular have looked composed out on the field.

Defending champions have looked solid in all areas of the pitch, with their offensive players taking away all the plaudits. Defenders MasihSaighani, full backs Hadid Mustafa and Hassan Amin deserves special mention for maintaining a watertight defence.CaptainFaysalShayesteh has consistently stood out in midfield, with others around him also complimenting each other really well. Khaibar Amani is currently on top of the goal scorer’s charts with 4 goals and will look to increase his tally when he lines up against ArnabMondal and Augustin Fernandes on Sunday. 

India and Afghanistan were the finalists in the previous two editions, with India winning 4-0 in 2011 and Afghanistan coming out 2-0 winners in 2013 to grab the trophy. This edition’s final is going to be even more unpredictable due to the rise in stature of the defending champions and India’s trust in youth.

This exacting match is set to kick off at 5:30 PM today and will be broadcast live on TOLO TV and Lemar TV.