Defending champions India kicked off their SAFF Championship 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Pakistan in their Group B encounter at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday.
The Blue Tigers looked set for a comfortable win after establishing a three-goal advantage in the first half, but two late strikes from Pakistan turned the contest into a dramatic finish.
Suhail Ahmad Bhat was the star of India’s attack, scoring twice in the opening 19 minutes before Manglenthang Kipgen added a third goal to strengthen India’s position.
Ranked 138th in the FIFA world rankings, India entered the contest as favourites against 197th-ranked Pakistan and quickly demonstrated their attacking quality.
After a cautious opening, India broke the deadlock in the 13th minute. Muhammad Suhail advanced down the left after collecting a throw-in and delivered an accurate ball into the penalty area. Bhat reacted quickly to finish from close range.
The striker doubled his tally just six minutes later. Suryavanshi split Pakistan’s defensive line with a clever pass, allowing Bhat to race through and guide a composed first-time finish beyond goalkeeper Yousuf Butt.
India continued to exploit gaps in Pakistan’s defence and extended their advantage in the 31st minute. Noufal PN carried the ball through midfield before releasing Kipgen, who calmly beat the advancing goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
Pakistan had an opportunity to respond when Hayyaan Khattak was brought down inside the penalty area by Suryavanshi. However, Shayak Dost wasted the resulting penalty, firing his effort over the crossbar.
Despite trailing by three goals, Pakistan refused to surrender and produced a remarkable fightback during stoppage time.
Najeeb Ullah pulled one back in the first minute of added time, rising above the Indian defence to head home Junaid Shah’s cross from the left.
Pakistan then struck again three minutes later when McKeal Abdullah delivered a cross from the right. Alamgir Ghazi controlled the ball before producing an acrobatic finish to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
The late goals created a nervous finish for India, but the defending champions managed to preserve their narrow advantage and secure three valuable points.
While India’s attacking performance offered plenty of encouragement, the late defensive setbacks highlighted areas requiring improvement as the tournament progresses.
Pakistan will look to bounce back against the Maldives on November 8, while India will face the same opponents in their final Group B fixture on November 11.
