India vs Maldives: SAFF Championship Group B clash in Dhaka on 11th November 2026
India will meet Maldives at the National Stadium in Dhaka on 11th November 2026 in their second and final group-stage match of the SAFF Championship 2026. Kick-off is scheduled for 03:00 PM IST and the fixture will be live-streamed on the VETO app.
The Blue Tigers began the tournament as defending champions with a 28-player squad but are down to 20 players after several departures from the national camp in Bangladesh. Multiple members of the squad have left to travel to New Zealand for two scheduled international friendlies, and all Mumbai City FC players returned to their ISL club following the match against Pakistan. Maldives up next for the #BlueTigers in Dhaka. 🇮🇳⚔️🇲🇻#SAFFChampionship2026 #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/J8eGgUlvAr
India’s two friendlies against New Zealand are set for 12th November and 15th November in New Zealand, which accounts for the mid-tournament movement of players from the Dhaka camp. The departures reduced the available roster for India’s Group B fixtures while the team retains its status as defending champions in the competition.
India opened Group B with a 3-2 victory over Pakistan on 5th November, taking an early 3-0 lead through a brace from Suhail Bhat and a goal from Manglenthang Kipgen. Pakistan were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute after Abhishek Suryavanshi fouled Hayyaan Khattak, but Shayak Dost failed to convert from the spot. Najeeb Ullah pulled one back with a header from a Junaid Shah cross in the 90+1st minute and Alamgir Ghazi scored an acrobatic second for Pakistan shortly afterwards, leaving the final score 3-2.
Maldives lost their Group B opener 3-0 to Pakistan on 8th November, conceding all three goals in the first half despite recording more possession in that period. The Falcons fell behind to a penalty converted by Mckeal Abdullah in the 4th minute, then Najeeb Ullah converted another cross from Junaid Shah and completed his brace with a goal in the 24th minute.
Group B standings currently show India in second place with 3 points from one win and a goal difference of +1, while Maldives sit third with 0 points and a goal difference of -3. Maldives need a victory over India on 11th November to retain any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals; India are ranked 138th in FIFA’s latest national rankings, 35 positions above Maldives, who are ranked 173rd.
The India vs Maldives match is each side’s second and final group-stage game in the SAFF Championship 2026; its outcome will determine Group B positions and represents Maldives’ only remaining route to the semi-finals.
