India v Maldives: Four individual matchups to watch in SAFF Championship 2026
India will meet Maldives in their final Group B fixture at the SAFF Championship 2026 in Dhaka on Wednesday, with India needing a win to finish top of the group.
India opened the tournament with a 3-2 victory over Pakistan last week under coach Naushad Moosa, with a brace from Suhail Bhatt securing the win; Pakistan then beat Maldives 3-0 and sit atop Group B with a +2 goal difference. The top two teams from Group B will qualify for the semifinals.
Macarton Louis Nickson and Ibrahim Aisham form the midfield contest to watch: Nickson has been consistent for NorthEast United across the last three seasons, is 22 years old and has represented the Blue Tigers six times, while Ibrahim Aisham, a Maziya player deployed as Maldives’ defensive midfielder, completed the most passes for his nation against Pakistan and made 9 recoveries and 2 tackles in that game. Given that India’s midfield is stretched between two squads in this international break, Nickson is expected to play an important role for India in Dhaka.
On the right flank, Ali Samooh and Irfan Yadwad present a defender-versus-attacker duel: Samooh, 30, was the pick of the Maldives defence in the 3-0 loss to Pakistan with 11 defensive contributions, 6 recoveries and 7 clearances and serves as his side’s captain. Irfan Yadwad, who should start on the right wing, is a Chennaiyin FC attacker with 3 goals in 5 ISL games this season, coming off a brace against East Bengal, and the 25-year-old will be tasked with converting that club form to the international stage.
Suhail Ahmed Bhat and Amdhan Ali provide a contrasting physical matchup: Suhail Ahmed Bhat has received just five minutes of ISL game time for Mohun Bagan over the last two seasons but was handed a start by Naushad Moosa in India’s SAFF opener and scored two goals in the 3-2 win. Amdhan Ali started for Maldives in the 3-0 loss to Pakistan and contributed 12 defensive actions, including six clearances and four recoveries; Amdhan is expected to present a strong physical challenge to Suhail off the ball.
Experience and personnel changes shape the defensive picture: the 38-year-old Ali Fasir, active on the international circuit since 2011 with 14 goals in 74 appearances, is likely to be used for his experience mainly in the second half by Maldives. Since Bijoy Varghese has been drafted to the squad that will be playing against New Zealand, Chinglensana Singh will be India’s primary centre-back against Maldives, and the Bengaluru FC defender has made 23 defensive contributions in 4 ISL games this season.
The outcome in Dhaka will determine the Group B winner, with the top two teams from Group B progressing to the semifinals.