India beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship 2026 opener

India's fast start

Suhail Ahmad Bhat struck a brace as defending champions India began their SAFF Championship campaign with a 3-2 victory over Pakistan in a Group B match at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, 5 November 2026. Bhat, who hails from Srinagar, scored in the 13th and 19th minutes, while Manglenthang Kipgen struck in the 31st minute as India led 3-0 at half-time.

Bhat thought he had opened the scoring in the 12th minute after getting on the end of an aerial ball from Kipgen, but the goal was ruled out for offside. A minute later, Muhammad Suhail drove forward from the left and delivered a cross into the penalty area, which Bhat turned home at the six-yard box. In the 19th minute, Abhishek Suryavanshi played a line-breaking pass through the defence and Bhat finished first time into the far corner past goalkeeper Yousuf Butt. Kipgen made it 3-0 in the 31st minute after being played through by Noufal, running onto the pass and beating the advancing goalkeeper.

Pakistan had a chance to reduce the deficit before half-time when Suryavanshi brought down Hayyaan Khattak inside the penalty area, but Shayak Dost sent the resulting spot-kick over the crossbar. Bhat came close to a hat-trick just before the break, cutting in from the right in the 45th minute, but his left-footed effort from outside the box went narrowly wide.

Pakistan's late fightback

India continued to control the match after the restart and created chances to extend their lead, with Adison Singh Thokchom denied by Butt in a one-on-one situation, but they were unable to add to their first-half tally. Pakistan found a way back in stoppage time: Junaid Shah delivered a cross from the left in the 91st minute and Najeeb Ullah rose highest to head the ball past goalkeeper Arsh Anwer Shaikh.

Pakistan scored again three minutes later, with McKeal Abdullah providing the cross from the right side of the penalty area and Alamgir Ghazi controlling the delivery before finishing with an acrobatic effort to make it 3-2. India held on through the final minutes to secure all three points, and the top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

A second-string side

India fielded a second-string side under the charge of Under-23 coach Naushad Moosa, with the first team set to play two away international friendly matches against New Zealand on 12 and 15 November. Moosa had only 17 players at his disposal for the match, as Indian Super League clubs were yet to release some players for the tournament, with the game not falling in the FIFA match window of 9 to 17 November. The clubs are expected to release their players for the next match against Maldives.

Pakistan were also without some players, including Danish-born defender Abdullah Iqbal, who plays for Mjallby AIF in Sweden, as the match did not fall inside the FIFA window. India are the defending champions and the most successful side in the competition's history, having won the title nine times.

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