Defending champions India beat Pakistan 3-2 in their SAFF Championship 2026 Group B opener at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, but only after Pakistan struck twice in stoppage time to set up a tense finish.
Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored in the 14th and 20th minutes and Manglenthang Kipgen made it 3-0 just past the half-hour. Pakistan had a chance to reply before the break when Hayyaan Khattak was fouled in the box, but Shayek Dost sent the penalty over the bar.
Nolberto Solano's side saw more of the ball after the interval and finally broke through in stoppage time, when Najeebullah headed in Junaid Shah's cross for his first international goal. Two minutes later Alamgir Ghazi met McKeal Abdullah's pass with a spectacular overhead finish, but the equaliser never came.
"The first half was not good. We were better in the second, but we scored too late," Ghazi said. Pakistan face the Maldives in their final group match on Sunday, November 8, needing a positive result to keep their semi-final hopes alive, with the top two in each group advancing.