India beat Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship opener in Dhaka
India opened their 2026 SAFF Championship campaign with a 3-2 victory over Pakistan at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, 5 November (2026), with Suhail Bhat scoring twice and Manglenthang Kipgen adding his first senior international goal before Pakistan struck twice in stoppage time. Najeeb Ullah scored in the 91st minute and Alamgir Ghazi followed three minutes later, but India held on for the three points.
The Blue Tigers dominated early, taking control in the first half when Suhail Bhat netted a brace inside the opening 20 minutes and Kipgen finished a move that the report described as putting India into an unassailable lead. The match provided a strong attacking display from Naushad Moosa’s side, prompting the assessment that India will be favourites to win the 2026 SAFF Championship. Despite the final scoreline, the team’s second-half finishing left room for concern.
Manglenthang Kipgen made his senior India debut in the match and scored his first international goal; the 21-year-old Punjab FC forward created six goal-scoring opportunities for teammates and made the decisive run into the penalty area for his finish. The report noted his previous five goals for the India U-20 team as evidence of his capacity to perform at senior level and said his debut validated Naushad Moosa’s selection.
Statistically, India produced 15 shot attempts and registered 22 touches inside Pakistan’s penalty area but managed only four shots on target, three of which became goals. The coverage warned that Moosa will need his players to be more prolific in key goal-scoring situations going forward, as the missed chances could pose problems in future matches.
The article highlighted India’s effectiveness on the counter-attack as a key feature of their performance; Suhail’s opening goal began from a long throw-in and Kipgen’s strike also arose from a rapid transition that unsettled Pakistan’s backline. India continued to generate promising opportunities from fast breaks in the second half but failed to convert several clear chances.
Suhail Bhat, identified as a Mohun Bagan forward who had not scored in the 2026-27 Indian Super League at the time, led the line and finished both of India’s early goals by making well-timed runs behind Pakistan’s centre-backs. The coverage described his movement, link-up play and physicality as attributes that make him a compelling option for the national team front line.
The post-match commentary included a live update that read: "FULL TIME! India 3-2 Pakistan! A brace from Suhail Ahmad Bhat an a goal from Kipgen give India a narrow 3-2 win over Pakistan as Naushad Moosa's side concedes two late goals! #IndianFootball #IndianFootballTeam #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/wNnegxs2Vj"
India collected three points from their opening SAFF Championship fixture and, according to the report, will be considered favourites for the title; the manager will be seeking improved finishing from his attackers after the late concession of two goals in stoppage time.