India beat Maldives 1-0 in Dhaka to finish top of Group B at SAFF Championship 2026
India defeated the Maldives 1-0 at the National Stadium in Dhaka on 11 November 2025 in the final Group B fixture of the SAFF Championship 2026. A first-half penalty by Suhail Ahmed Bhatt decided the match and ensured India qualified for the semi-finals as Group B winners.
With the victory India finished Group B on six points with a goal difference of +2. Maldives, having lost both group games, occupy third place and have been eliminated from the tournament. Pakistan, following their win against Maldives, secured second place in Group B and also advanced to the semi-final round. India will face the second-placed team from Group A in the semi-finals while Pakistan will meet the winners of Group A.
The match report included this update: "FULL-TIME | India 1-0 Maldives Suhail Bhat's first-half penalty proves to be the difference as the Blue Tigers beat Maldives to finish top of the group in the SAFF Championship 2026! 💪🇮🇳#IndianFootball #SAFFChampionship pic.twitter.com/RteonPhT3m" The update names the scorer as "Suhail Bhat" and refers to India by the nickname "Blue Tigers." The wording in the update states India finished top of the group.
In Group A, Bangladesh sit top with three points, while Sri Lanka occupy second with one point and a goal difference of 0. Bhutan have completed their two matches and sit bottom of the group with 1 point and a goal difference of -1. Those positions mean the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka fixture will determine India’s semi-final opponent.
If the game ends in a draw, the Blue Tigers will go on to face Sri Lanka, who will finish second. However, if Sri Lanka defeats Bangladesh, the Blue Tigers will face Bangladesh in the semis. If Bangladesh defeats Sri Lanka by two goals, Naushad’s squad will face Bhutan in the semi-finals.
Here are the top scorers of the SAFF Championship 2026 after India vs Maldives. For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram. The report presented the updated points table alongside the scoring information.
India will meet the second-placed team from Group A in the semi-finals, while Pakistan will take on the Group A winners. The result of Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka will decide which nation finishes second in Group A and therefore which opponent India will face next.