India Secures Narrow Victory Over Pakistan in SAFF Championship
Defending champion India opened its SAFF Championship campaign with a win that looked routine for 90 minutes and suddenly anything but in stoppage time.
Naushad Moosa’s side, stripped down to just 17 available players with several ISL regulars held back by their clubs, still carved out a 3-2 victory over Pakistan in their Group B clash on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
For an hour and more, it felt like a statement. In the end, it felt like a warning.
Ruthless India Race to 3-0 Lead
India started as if offended by the chaos of their build-up.
With key names missing and the match outside the FIFA window of November 9–17, Moosa could have been forgiven for caution. His players chose aggression instead.
Suhail Ahmad Bhat set the tone early. In the 13th minute, he struck the opener, settling Indian nerves and rattling Pakistan’s defensive shape. Six minutes later, in the 19th, he doubled the advantage, his brace underlining the gulf in sharpness between the sides.
Pakistan reeled. India smelled blood.
By the 31st minute, Manglenthang Kipgen had joined the party, making it 3-0 and turning the contest into what looked like a procession. India went into half-time cruising, three goals to the good, the champions in full control despite a thinned-out bench.
Pakistan Strike Back in Stoppage Time
The second half drifted towards a comfortable conclusion. India managed the tempo, Pakistan chased shadows without much incision. Moosa, with limited options, had to trust the legs he had.
Then stoppage time arrived, and the mood flipped.
In the 90+1st minute, Najeeb Ullah pulled one back, finally cracking an Indian defence that had switched from dominant to merely diligent. Suddenly, Pakistan had a pulse.
Three minutes later, in the 90+4th, Alamgir Ghazi struck again. What had been a routine opening win for India now looked alarmingly fragile. From 3-0 up and coasting to 3-2 and clinging on, the champions were forced to see out the final seconds under pressure they had largely avoided all evening.
The whistle came as relief as much as reward.
Thin Squad, Big Test Ahead
For Moosa, the context matters. ISL clubs have yet to release several players, with the SAFF Championship opener falling outside the official FIFA window. It left India short-handed on Thursday, every selection a compromise, every substitution a calculation.
That should change soon. Clubs are expected to release their players ahead of India’s next Group B match against Maldives on November 11, a fixture that will demand more control and fewer late lapses.
The scoreline tells its own story:
India 3 (Suhail Ahmad Bhat 13, 19; Manglenthang Kipgen 31) bt Pakistan 2 (Najeeb Ullah 90+1, Alamgir Ghazi 90+4).
Three points, a winning start, and a reminder that even champions can’t afford to drift. With reinforcements on the way and Maldives looming, India has its victory. Now it needs its authority back.
