India Beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship Opener
India beat Pakistan 3-2 in the opening match of the SAFF Championship 2026 at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, surviving a dramatic late fightback from Pakistan. Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored twice in the first half and Manglenthang Kipgen added a third as the defending champions took all three points from their Group B opener.
Pakistan, who trailed 3-0 at half-time, refused to give up and scored twice in stoppage time through Najeeb Ullah and captain Alamgir Ghazi, but India held on for the win in front of a packed crowd in Dhaka.
Bhat brace puts India in control
India made a flying start to their title defence. Suhail Ahmad Bhat opened the scoring in the 14th minute, finishing off a move involving Muhammad Suhail, and doubled the lead in the 20th minute with a clinical finish from a through ball. Punjab FC forward Manglenthang Kipgen made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute, latching on to a through ball from Noufal.
Pakistan had a golden chance to pull one back soon after India’s third goal when they were awarded a penalty, but Shayak Dost sent his spot-kick over the bar, and India went into the break with a comfortable three-goal lead.
The first half belonged entirely to the nine-time champions, who were playing with a second-string squad under interim head coach Naushad Moosa. Despite missing several regulars, India looked sharp and organised, while Pakistan struggled to cope with the pace of the Indian attack.
Pakistan’s late fightback
The second half produced no further goals until the closing minutes, when Pakistan finally found a way back into the game. Najeeb Ullah pulled one back in the first minute of stoppage time, giving Pakistan hope, and Alamgir Ghazi scored a spectacular goal in the 94th minute to reduce the deficit to a single goal.
India, however, held on through the final moments to seal the win and begin their campaign with three points. The result also means the defending champions have one foot in the semi-finals of the competition.
What the result means
India are chasing a record-extending 10th SAFF Championship title this year. They will next face the Maldives on November 11 in their final Group B fixture, while Pakistan take on the same opponents on November 8. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for November 14, while the final will take place on November 17.
Pakistan, ranked 197th in the world against India’s 138th, will take heart from their late fightback but will know they must beat the Maldives to keep their semi-final hopes alive. The team had gone into the tournament with a 28-member squad and a target of reaching the semi-finals, and the side showed in the closing minutes that they can trouble even the region’s strongest team.
Read more: Pakistan vs India: SAFF Championship tomorrow in Dhaka and Champions League: Real Madrid’s late win, Liverpool lose.
Background: a rivalry renewed
The SAFF Championship 2026 is the 15th edition of South Asia’s biggest football tournament, running from November 5 to 17 at the National Stadium in Dhaka. Pakistan and India were drawn together in Group B alongside the Maldives, and Thursday’s opener was the first meeting between the arch-rivals in the competition since the last edition.
India entered the tournament as defending champions and favourites, while Pakistan were looking to build on their recent progress under their coaching setup. The match lived up to its billing as the tournament’s biggest fixture, with a late burst of goals ensuring a thrilling finish.
Source: Indian Express, November 5, 2026; Times Now, November 5, 2026; Gulf News, November 5, 2026