India beat Bhutan 2-1 to reach SAFF Championship 2026 final
India defeated Bhutan 2-1 at the National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday, November 14, 2026, in the SAFF Championship 2026 semi-final. Vishnu PV and captain Chinglensana Singh Konsham scored in the first half while Kinzang Tashi Tobden replied early in the second half, and the Video Assistant Referee, used in the competition for the first time, overturned an offside flag for Bhutan’s goal and later cancelled a penalty awarded to India.
Bhutan, contesting their first SAFF semi-final in 18 years, disrupted India’s passing in midfield during the opening exchanges and forced the Blue Tigers to work for rhythm before the breakthrough. In the ninth minute a long diagonal pass found Vishnu on the left; he controlled the ball, shifted onto his right, nutmegged a defender and curled a shot past goalkeeper Gyeltshen Zangpo into the bottom-right corner. India threatened again in the 17th minute when Brison Fernandes released Suhail Ahmad Bhat into the box, but Zangpo palmed Bhat’s first-time effort away, and two minutes later Bhutan captain Chencho Gyeltshen used quick footwork to trouble India near the edge of the area before being crowded out.
India continued to press and produced a second goal in the 28th minute from a set-piece routine. Manglenthanga Kipgen’s corner from the right was not cleared by Bhutan and Chinglensana reacted to the loose ball to smash it into the net. By the half-hour mark India had taken six shots while Bhutan had yet to register one, enabling the defending champions to go into the interval with a 2-0 lead.
Bhutan began the second half with greater urgency and reduced the deficit in the 48th minute after a free-kick delivery was not cleared; Gyeltshen collected the ball on the left and drove towards the far post where Tobden headed into an unguarded net. An offside flag initially halted celebrations but the goal was allowed following a VAR review. Bhutan then came close to an equaliser in the 53rd minute when Gyeltshen’s shot was tipped over by Arsh Anwer Shaikh.
Naushad Moosa made two substitutions in the 64th minute, bringing Macarton Nickson on for Kipgen and Irfan Yadwad for Vishnu. Soon after, Yadwad’s cross struck Nima Wangdi’s arm in the box and a spot-kick was awarded, but that decision was overturned after a VAR review. Suhail Ahmad Bhat hit the crossbar in the 85th minute and Bhutan continued to push late on; Gyeltshen floated a delivery towards substitute Kinzang Tenzin that was just out of reach, Tenzin Norbu volleyed wide in the fourth minute of added time, and a Tandin Tshewang header across goal left Kinzang Tenzin inches away from an equaliser.
India named Arsh Anwer Shaikh (GK), Chinglensana Singh Konsham (C), Abhishek Suryavanshi, Suhail Ahmad Bhat (Ebindas Yesudasan 90+1’), Vishnu PV (Irfan Yadwad 64’)(Nathan Rodrigues 90+1’), Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Ricky Shabong, Manglenthanga Kipgen (Macarton Nickson 64’), Nikhil Prabhu, Sandip Mandi, Brison Fernandes (Abdul Rabeeh 78’).
The win keeps India’s pursuit of a record-extending 10th SAFF Championship title alive; the defending champions will meet the winner of the other semi-final between Bangladesh and Pakistan in the final on November 17.