India aim to secure top spot in Group B against Maldives at National Stadium, Dhaka
India will meet Maldives at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday 11th November, 2026, in their final group-stage match of the SAFF Championship 2026. The Blue Tigers go into the game aiming to complete a perfect group campaign while Maldives seek an upset that would keep their tournament hopes alive.
India enter the fixture as the defending champions after opening their SAFF 2026 campaign with a 3-2 victory over Pakistan; Suhail Bhat scored twice and Kipgen added India’s third before half-time, and Pakistan struck twice late but could not overturn the result. Maldives began their group with a 3-0 defeat to Pakistan, with all three goals conceded in the first half despite enjoying considerable possession during that match.
Coach Naushad Moosa has called for improvements following India’s nervy finish against Pakistan, with the team urged to sharpen their final product. The preview says India will look to play with innovation and pace in attack, stressing smart chance creation and clinical finishing as priorities. A convincing, high-scoring win is described as a route to carry momentum into the semifinals, while dropped points against Maldives would be damaging to that aim.
Maldives are described as needing a strong defensive structure to contain India and must be clinical on transitions and at set pieces to pose a threat. The article characterises their opening loss to Pakistan as embarrassing and notes that a win over India could propel Maldives into the knockout rounds at India’s expense. Conversely, failure to beat India would result in elimination for Maldives according to the preview.
Naushad Moosa is reported to have additional players available for the match, including Liston Colaco, Chinglensana Singh, Macarton Nickson and Irfan Yadwad. The piece states Maldives should retain the same squad they used against Pakistan and lists: Arsh Anwar (GK), Abdul Rabeeh, Chinglensana Singh, Nikhil Prabhu, Muhammed Uvais, Rick Shabong, Macarton Nickson, Kipgen, Irfan, Suhail Bhat, Brison Hussain Shareef (GK), Hussain Sifaau, Amdaan Ali, Ali Samooh, Ahmed Rasheed, Ibrahim Hassan, Ibrahim Aisham, Mohamed Naim, Ahmed Aiham, Ibrahim Mahudhee, Ali Fasir.
The preview singles out Suhail Bhat as a player using the SAFF Championship to stake a claim for the No.9 role, noting he is a Mohun Bagan forward who opened the tournament with a brace against Pakistan and is expected to continue making runs into danger areas and to focus on converting chances. It also highlights veteran forward Ali Fasir, identified as 38 years old and still one of Maldives’ most prolific players, who the article says will likely feature and must balance attacking runs with defensive work and finishing opportunities.
The India–Maldives Group B match will kick off at 3:00 PM IST on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at the National Stadium, Dhaka, and will be streamed live on the Veto app.