India Beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship 2026 Opener

Defending champions India began their SAFF Championship 2026 campaign with a 3-2 victory over Pakistan at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday. Suhail Ahmed Bhat scored twice in an impressive first-half performance, while Manglenthang Kipgen added another goal to give India a commanding 3-0 lead.

However, a dramatic stoppage-time fightback from Pakistan made the final scoreline much closer than the match had appeared for most of the evening. Najeebullah and Alamgir Ali Khan Ghazi scored within three minutes of each other, creating a tense finish, but India held on to secure all three points in their opening fixture.

India entered the tournament with a second-string squad, as several players were involved in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL), while the senior national team was scheduled to face New Zealand during the international break. Despite the changes, Noushad Moosa’s side controlled much of the contest and looked comfortable until the closing minutes.

Suhail Ahmed Bhat leads India’s dominant first-half performance

India made an energetic start and took the lead in the 13th minute through Suhail Ahmed Bhat. A well-constructed attacking move ended with Mohammed Suhail delivering an excellent low cross into the penalty area, allowing Bhat to finish from close range.

The forward continued to trouble Pakistan’s defence and doubled India’s advantage just six minutes later. Bhat was played through on goal and showed composure to get past goalkeeper Yousuf Butt, calmly placing the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

His movement and attacking threat gave Pakistan’s defenders considerable problems. India’s quick combinations and control in midfield allowed the forwards to find space, while Pakistan struggled to respond to the pressure.

The defending champions extended their lead in the 31st minute. Noufal delivered a pass into the path of Manglenthang Kipgen, whose forward run went largely untracked by the Pakistan defence. Kipgen found himself one-on-one with Butt and finished with a chip to make it 3-0.

India had established a commanding advantage before the break, with Bhat’s brace and Kipgen’s goal putting them firmly in control. Their attacking movement repeatedly exposed gaps in Pakistan’s defensive organisation.

Pakistan miss penalty as India take control

India’s biggest concern during the first half was a drop in concentration after building a three-goal lead. Pakistan were handed an opportunity to get back into the match when Abhishek Suryavanshi brought down Hayyan Khattak inside the Indian penalty area.

The referee awarded Pakistan a penalty, giving them a chance to reduce the deficit before half-time. However, Shayak Dost failed to take advantage, sending his spot-kick high over the crossbar.

The missed penalty added to Pakistan’s difficulties, while India went into the interval with a comfortable 3-0 lead. For much of the first half, Moosa’s team had controlled possession, dominated midfield and created the more dangerous attacking opportunities.

India lose intensity after the break

The second half followed a different pattern, with India appearing less urgent after establishing their three-goal advantage. Pakistan enjoyed more possession but initially struggled to turn that control into meaningful chances.

India were content to protect their lead and occasionally looked to attack on the counter. Pakistan, managed by Nolberto Solano, continued trying to build their way forward, but the defending champions remained largely comfortable.

India’s goalkeeper Arsh Shaikh had relatively little to do for most of the match. One of his notable contributions came when he produced an important save to deny Najeebullah, who had received the ball after a promising move involving McKeal.

Arsh also dealt with an inswinging corner by collecting the delivery safely. India’s defensive players continued to deal with most of Pakistan’s attacks, and the match appeared to be heading towards a routine victory for the defending champions.

Moosa also used his available substitutes as the match progressed, with all five outfield players on India’s bench eventually entering the game. Kipgen was among those replaced after appearing to struggle physically.

Najeebullah and Ghazi score late goals for Pakistan

Pakistan finally found a way through India’s defence during stoppage time. In the 90th minute plus one, Junaid Shah delivered an excellent cross from the left, which Najeebullah met with a powerful header to make the score 3-1.

The goal ended India’s hopes of keeping a clean sheet and gave Pakistan a late boost. The visitors had struggled to create clear opportunities for most of the match, but the quality of Shah’s delivery and Najeebullah’s finish gave them a goal to celebrate.

Pakistan were not finished. Just two minutes later, Alamgir Ali Khan Ghazi produced a spectacular finish to reduce the deficit to 3-2 and suddenly put India under pressure.

Ghazi controlled the ball with an excellent first touch, setting himself up before striking a powerful effort from a narrow angle while falling. The shot flew into the near post, giving Arsh Shaikh little opportunity to prevent the goal.

It was arguably the most spectacular goal of the match and transformed what had appeared to be a comfortable Indian victory into a tense closing period.

Pakistan continued looking for another opportunity, but India managed to survive the remaining pressure. Despite conceding twice in stoppage time, the defending champions secured a 3-2 victory.

Ghazi admits Pakistan started poorly but improved after half-time

Speaking after the match, Ghazi acknowledged that Pakistan had failed to perform at the required level during the first half. He also pointed to the missed penalty as an important moment before explaining that his side improved after the interval.

“The first half was not good. We could have scored [with the penalty]. We were better in the second, but we scored too late.”

Ghazi was also asked why Pakistan had not trained on the previous day. He responded with a smile, explaining that the team’s luggage had gone missing.

“Our luggage was missing, that’s why we didn’t train.”

Despite the defeat, Ghazi remained optimistic about Pakistan’s chances of progressing in the competition. He said the team’s hopes remained high and stressed the importance of winning their next match against the Maldives.

“Hopes are high. We must win the second game, because all the players will come in time for the semifinal. We want to beat Maldives.”

His comments suggested that Pakistan were already looking ahead to their next opportunity, with the team hoping to improve its performance and keep its tournament ambitions alive.

India 3-2 Pakistan: Full match scoring details

India’s three first-half goals proved decisive, while Pakistan’s two stoppage-time strikes made the final result more competitive on paper.

India scorers:

• Suhail Ahmed Bhat – 13th minute
• Suhail Ahmed Bhat – 19th minute
• Manglenthang Kipgen – 31st minute

Pakistan scorers:

• Najeebullah – 90+1st minute
• Alamgir Ali Khan Ghazi – 90+3rd minute

Final score: India 3-2 Pakistan

India begin title defence with three important points

The victory gives India a positive start to their SAFF Championship 2026 campaign and strengthens their position as defending champions. Bhat’s two goals and Kipgen’s contribution demonstrated the attacking potential of a squad that was missing several regular senior-team options.

However, the late collapse in concentration will give Moosa plenty to consider. India controlled the match for long periods, but conceding twice in stoppage time highlighted the importance of maintaining defensive discipline until the final whistle.

For Pakistan, the late goals offered some encouragement despite the defeat. Their second-half improvement and Ghazi’s spectacular finish showed that they could create opportunities, although the missed penalty and poor first-half performance proved costly.

India will take confidence from securing the win, but the final scoreline provides a reminder that matches cannot be considered finished until the referee blows the final whistle. The defending champions have collected their opening three points, while Pakistan must now focus on their next fixture against the Maldives.