Sports/Alive News: India began their SAFF Championship 2026 campaign with a 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan on Thursday. The defending champions built a three-goal lead in the first half but had to withstand a late fightback to secure all three points.
Suhail Bhatt scored twice, while Kipgen added another goal to give India a commanding 3-0 advantage. Pakistan scored twice in the final minutes but failed to level the score.
India will next face the Maldives on November 11, while Pakistan will play the same opponents on November 8.
Players Shake Hands After the Match
The match also ended with a positive moment as Indian and Pakistani players shook hands after the final whistle.
Ahead of the match, India coach Naushad Moosa had expressed his willingness to even hug Pakistani players if the situation allowed. Indian captain Nathan Rodriguez also said he had no objection to shaking hands with the opposition.
Pakistan captain Alamgir Ghazi supported the gesture, saying that football is different from cricket and is known as the beautiful game.
Suhail Bhatt Scores Twice in First Half
India took the lead in the 13th minute when Muhammed Suhail delivered a low cross from the left, which Suhail Bhatt converted into a goal.
Bhatt scored his second goal in the 19th minute after receiving a through pass from Suryavanshi. He calmly placed the ball into the bottom-right corner.
India extended their lead to 3-0 in the 32nd minute. Noufal provided an accurate through ball to Kipgen, who found the net.
Pakistan had a chance to score before half-time after winning a penalty in the 34th minute, but Shayak Dost sent his shot over the crossbar.
Pakistan Fight Back in Closing Minutes
India maintained their three-goal lead for most of the second half. However, Pakistan reduced the deficit in the 90th minute when Najeeb Ullah headed in a cross from Junaid Shah.
Ali Khan Ghazi scored again in the 90+4th minute with an acrobatic finish, making it 3-2. India managed to defend their lead until the final whistle and secured a winning start to the tournament.
