India have reached the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship 2026 as Group B winners after a 1-0 victory over the Maldives at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday. Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, his third goal of the tournament.
The win gave India maximum points from their two group games and set up a semi-final against Bhutan on Saturday, November 14.
How the match was won
The decisive moment came in the 38th minute. According to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Abdul Rabeeh won the ball from Hussain Sifaau Yoosuf and was brought down inside the box. Bhat stepped up and sent goalkeeper Hussain Shareef the wrong way, placing his kick into the bottom-left corner.
Head coach Naushad Moosa made seven changes from the side that beat Pakistan in the opening game, the AIFF said. Priyansh Dubey started in goal and played a key part in the second half, saving a free-kick from Ali Hamdhaan in the 79th minute and a shot from Muzdhaan Hassan five minutes later. He also blocked a close-range effort from Ethan Ibrahim Zaki in stoppage time to protect the lead.
Chinglensana Singh Konsham captained the side after Bijoy Varghese left for New Zealand.
A young India side
India are using a young, second-string squad in Bangladesh. Moosa, who also coaches India’s Under-23 team, is in charge because the senior national team is preparing for two friendlies in New Zealand, according to Outlook India and Deccan Chronicle.
The group campaign began with a 3-2 win over Pakistan, in which Bhat scored twice in the first half and Manglenthang Kipgen added the other goal. India conceded twice in added time in that game, and the AIFF said Moosa had stressed concentration and game management before the Maldives match. India kept a clean sheet this time.
Semi-final line-up
The other Group A match on Wednesday ended Bangladesh 4-0 Sri Lanka, with goals from Shamit Shome, Hamza Choudhury, Farhaan Ali Wahid and Rakib Hossain, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and The Daily Star. Bangladesh topped Group A with six points, while Bhutan went through as runners-up on goal difference.
- Semi-final 1: India vs Bhutan
- Semi-final 2: Bangladesh vs Pakistan
- Day: Saturday, November 14
Kick-off times and venues for the semi-finals were not given in the reports reviewed. Fans in the UAE following the tournament should note that Bangladesh is two hours ahead of UAE time.
Group stage at a glance
- Group B final standings: India 6 points, Pakistan 3, Maldives 0
- Maldives were eliminated after defeats to Pakistan and India
- Sri Lanka went out of Group A after a draw with Bhutan and the loss to Bangladesh
- Bhat leads India’s scoring with three goals in two games
The SAFF Championship features national teams from across South Asia. For more Indian sport, read our report on India’s five-wicket ODI win over New Zealand in Auckland.
Sources: AIFF, AFC, The Daily Star, Outlook India, Deccan Chronicle
