Three Maldives players to watch as India meet Maldives in SAFF Championship in Dhaka
India will meet the Maldives at the National Stadium in Dhaka in the 2026 SAFF Championship on November 11, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 IST. The match is India’s final Group B fixture in the tournament.
India opened their title defence with a 3-2 victory over Pakistan, a game in which Naushad Moosa's team struck three times inside the opening half-hour before Pakistan scored twice in stoppage time. Moosa's squad has been disrupted ahead of the Maldives game: four players, including Tomba, were called up for New Zealand friendlies, three Mumbai City FC players have returned to their clubs, and Suresh Wangjam has picked up an injury, leaving Moosa with 20 players for the remainder of the tournament.
The Maldives began Group B with a 3-0 defeat to Pakistan and must beat India to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive; a draw would leave them bottom of the group, three points behind India and two behind Pakistan. For India, a draw would move them to the top of Group B with four points.
Aisham, a defensive midfielder for the Maldives, has more than 35 appearances and four goal contributions for his country and started the Pakistan game as a number six. He scored against Mohun Bagan SG in the 2021 AFC Cup and registered an assist against Odisha FC in the 2023-24 AFC Cup; in the current Dhivehi Premier League season he has scored twice and provided one assist. Aisham is versatile across midfield, capable of playing as a six, eight or ten, and the Maldives have used him both to regain possession and to push into more advanced positions.
Ibrahim Mahudhee has made over 45 appearances for the Maldives, scoring six goals and registering three assists for his country. Typically deployed as a number ten or a second striker who can also play on the left, Mahudhee uses direct running, pace and dribbling to challenge defenders and offers hold-up play with his back to goal. He has scored twice against Bengaluru FC and once against Chennai City FC in AFC Cup competition.
Ali Fasir, one of the Maldives' most-capped players, has made around 88 appearances and scored 18 goals for his country; one of those goals came against India in the final of the 2018 SAFF Championship, when India fielded a largely U-23 side. Now 38, Fasir has three goals and two assists in five Dhivehi Premier League games this season and alternates between the left wing and striker roles, contributing movement inside the box and from set-piece situations.
A draw will be sufficient for India to take top spot in Group B with four points, while the Maldives must win to remain in contention for a semi-final berth; the teams meet at 15:00 IST on November 11 at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
