India defeated Pakistan in the SAFF Championships |courtesy – Bangladesh football
\n\nA second-string Indian football team is more than enough to get the better of arch-rivals Pakistan as the Blue Tigers kick-started their campaign with a thumping 3-2 victory in the 2026 SAFF Championships on Thursday (November 5) at the iconic National Stadium in Dhaka. The result also means that the nine-time champions have one foot in the semi-final of the competition.
\n\nGuided by interim head coach Naushad Moosa, India made a fiery start and went into the half-time break with a 3-0 lead. Suhaul Ahmed Bhatt scored a brace for the nine-time champions with goals in the 14th and 20th minutes of the match. Later,
\n\nManglenthang Kipgen triped the lead in the 32nd minute of the match. Both of Pakistan's consolation goals came in the stoppage time of the second half, with Najeeb Ullah (90+1) and Alamgir Ghazi (90+4) finding the back of the net.
\n\nIndia will next be seen in action on Wednesday (November 11) in their second group stage match against Maldives. Before that, Pakistan and Maldives will play each other on Sunday (November 8). For those unversed, the top two teams from each group will qualify…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports
