India ends Pakistan's fairy-tale run at SAFF Championship

E-Paper | March 04, 2026

India defeated Pakistan 3-1 in the semi-final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The defeat ended Pakistan's fairy-tale run in the tournament, where the Men in Green — taking part at an international event after three years — exceeded everyone's expectations.

Even in defeat, the Pakistan players gave a good account of their game, holding a far higher-ranked Indian side to a goalless first half before all hell broke loose in the second.

Their resistance ended in the 49th minute when India's Ashique Kuruniyan delivered a low ball that was poked home by striker Manvir Singh.

Singh got his second of the night in the 69th minute before Sumeet Passi added a third seven minutes from time.

Mohsin Ali and Lallianzuala Chhangte were both sent off in the 86th minute before Pakistan found a late consolation.

By that time, however, India had effectively sealed the win and booked their berth in the final opposite Maldives.

Sport

Markram eyes ‘fresh start’ for unbeaten South Africa in semi-final battle against New Zealand

Haris among 14 Pakistanis on The Hundred final list

Will Iran take part in 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Ashton

Sep 12, 2018 08:32pm

Much more experienced Indian side? Pakistan senior team was playing against Indian u23 team

Recommend 0

FARID

Sep 12, 2018 08:36pm

Well Done Pakistan Football Team to reach the semi finals after a long break from internationals Keep Improving Guys ...

Recommend 0

Indian

Sep 12, 2018 08:38pm

Congratulations to Indian team!!

Recommend 0

Naveen Mohan

Sep 12, 2018 08:56pm

Pakistan plays football. really?

Recommend 0

Ali

Sep 12, 2018 08:59pm

No problems if India played well then the deserve credit. Well played.

Recommend 0

susmita

Sep 12, 2018 09:03pm

@Naveen Mohan - india's fifa rank is 96. so,man, both are in worst category only...

Recommend 0

Sushant Waidande

Sep 12, 2018 09:05pm

@Ashton They are indeed more experienced by Pakistani standard. Better facilities, better education and better training.

Recommend 0

Sms

Sep 12, 2018 09:07pm

India playing with there under-23 team. Pak have to play more game to compete with Indian team

Recommend 0

gaurav rawat

Sep 12, 2018 09:12pm

Soon India is going to become the soccer powerhouse in Asia.. The target is to be top 5 in next 5 years and then in top 50 in next 10. Hopefully we can see India play world cup in next 10 years. I wish good talented pakistani players could play in Indian super league.

Recommend 0

Anand Tiwari

Sep 12, 2018 09:14pm

@susmita don't be apologist to Pak, Pakistan rank is 203 in figs rankings, secondly it was not India's senior team it was India u 23 team for it info

Recommend 0

Common Sense

Sep 12, 2018 09:21pm

Andhon mein kaana raja (one-eyed is king among the blind)

Recommend 0

lafanga

Sep 12, 2018 09:25pm

@Naveen Mohan Same question to Indians .... really?

Recommend 0

Indian

Sep 12, 2018 09:26pm

India has sent its junior team

Recommend 0

Indian

Sep 12, 2018 09:27pm

@susmita India 96 Pakistan 201 srilanka is 200

Recommend 0

Ashton

Sep 12, 2018 09:35pm

@susmita For your information, Pakistan's fifa ranking is 201, the lowest in south Asia

Recommend 0

Ashton

Sep 12, 2018 09:36pm

Where is Dr. Salaria? Keep up green shirts, hang on tough...

Recommend 0

Shahid khan

Sep 12, 2018 09:38pm

Please stop viewing this as a matter of national pride and stop taking away the joy of the game . A one sided game is no fun and a good contest is the best reward for a sports fan . Please increase participation at all levels from club sport and beyond so that sports can flourish in the region and not be held hostage to a political agenda.

Recommend 0

Basit Shaikh

Sep 12, 2018 09:39pm

Congratulation to both teams India for reaching to the Final. Pakistan to reach far beyond expectations !

Recommend 0

anup indian

Sep 12, 2018 09:43pm

congrats to indian team and well played pakistan

Recommend 0

Ch.Yasir Azim

Sep 12, 2018 09:49pm

well played guys, out smart them if you look India ranking compare to ours.

Recommend 0

Farhan Ahmed

Sep 12, 2018 09:55pm

Win or lose in the game happens. It doesn't matter if Pakistan lost in semi final. The more important thing the revival of football in Pakistan. Pakistan Football Federation should improve the infrastructure of football at grass root level in the country. There should be more grounds and stadiums for football in big cities of Pakistan. There is a talent, the more awareness will be given of the football in Pakistan can lead the most emergence of young players. Well done Pakistan football team and good luck for the future keep working hard

Recommend 0

Kailash Singh

Sep 12, 2018 09:56pm

It was under-23 team of India. They lacked international experience. Still India gave good result.

Recommend 0

Brijesh Kumar

Sep 12, 2018 10:00pm

@Ch.Yasir Azim Outsmart??? India did not play it's "senior" team like Pakistan. It was U23 team that defeated Pakistani senior team.

Recommend 0

Bharat

Sep 12, 2018 10:01pm

I wish fans support this game as this is a global one

Recommend 0

M.Saeed

Sep 12, 2018 10:08pm

Pakistan should have sent its Street Boys Team that reached the world final.

Recommend 0

Observer

Sep 12, 2018 10:09pm

First Hockey than Soccer, India is defeating Pakistan.

Recommend 0

Observer

Sep 12, 2018 10:09pm

@FARID Good excuse.

Recommend 0

Ripan

Sep 12, 2018 10:11pm

Pakistanis were playing physically against the Indian kids,it was odd to watch

Recommend 0

Bored

Sep 12, 2018 10:12pm

Indian u-23 experimental side beats a national team of Pakistan

Recommend 0

Bored

Sep 12, 2018 10:19pm

@Ch.Yasir Azim Losing 3-1 is outsmarting???? Keep outsmarting and losing then

Recommend 0

Amir

Sep 12, 2018 10:31pm

@Ripan under 23 are not kids

Recommend 0

Neo

Sep 12, 2018 10:42pm

@Anand Tiwari. Most of the supposed Indian commentators are hung up on their team being U23 rather than revelling in victory. Just goes to show negative mindset. Welldone to Pak team for making it this far and giving us hope. Congratulations to the Indian soccer team.

Recommend 0

Sep 12, 2018 10:44pm

this was India's second string side. none of senior players were playing

Recommend 0

Hafiz sayeed

Sep 12, 2018 10:49pm

@Ch.Yasir Azim but it was under 23 team of india.not the senior team

Recommend 0

M. Emad

Sep 12, 2018 10:53pm

Bangladesh also beat Pakistan 1-0 in 2018 SAFF games at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka.

Recommend 0

Iftikhar Khan

Sep 12, 2018 11:02pm

If we can only organize this sport better....and give it due importance...

Recommend 0

Aimal

Sep 12, 2018 11:09pm

There was no fair-tale run for the Pakistan team. In the league stages they lost to Bangladesh who did not even qualify for the knock-out stages. Pakistan team had several players who are playing regularly in foreign clubs. Yet their performance is less than the adequate.

Recommend 0

Siddhartha

Sep 12, 2018 11:35pm

@ Farhan Ahmed, Agreed. We need to put more emphasis on football rather than the cricket in South Asia.

Recommend 0

Majnu

Sep 12, 2018 11:36pm

Had it beet the regular Indian side lead by Sunil Chettri. The goal difference would had been way bigger. Indian Super League is improving football really well for Indian youngsters too.

Recommend 0

Cly

Sep 12, 2018 11:45pm

This was an India u 23 team. This was not Indias top senior team that qualified for the Asia cup in uae

Recommend 0

Javed

Sep 13, 2018 12:03am

Congrates to indians for bringing politics in sports. I am glad Pakistan still plays football as a sport as can be seen in this comment section.

Recommend 0

Pakistani

Sep 13, 2018 12:09am

Well good for them.

Recommend 0

Truth Speaker

Sep 13, 2018 12:14am

India have sent their U23 team to SAFF championship against National Teams of other nations including Pakistan. So Indian U23 side did pretty well against experienced teams of other nations. But it is good to see that Pakistan National team being in good form and reached to semifinals of SAFF championship after three years. Quite honestly PFF need to introspect in their National Football team which got beaten by U23 team. On a lighter note : First step of improvement is accepting failures.

Recommend 0

anonymouseee

Sep 13, 2018 12:40am

Congrats to Pak Team for making it to the semi's, even though India and other countries have tried their best to marginalize Pakistan and keep it away from sports. Proud of Team GREEN.

Recommend 0

Khany

Sep 13, 2018 01:05am

Pakistan still did very well regardless of over 3years without playing. Pakistan needs to invest by creating a propper sponsored franchise league's all over the country and telecast it live in HD. That's how people will love the sport and surely it will overtake cricket. Also the Goverment should create football pitchz for locals and football courts in every town and villages for the locals and future talent. Our media such as Dawn should also work harder to promote the sport. Football is a future investment and Pakistan can easily make profit if implemented and organised well.

Recommend 0

Azam Ali Siddiqui

Sep 13, 2018 02:27am

Foot-ball like other games needs power, practice and resources.Many of our schools have no foot-ball team or coach.,Some of the physical education teachers have no training in coaching and playground.OUR physical education area needs competent teachers and curriculum and match experience.With this background we will get the right kind of material and talent for training players for International competition.

Recommend 0

Zak

Sep 13, 2018 02:30am

Results will be different in coming years. We have a sportman as PM. Pakistsn has talented football players they just need the support.

Recommend 0

Zak

Sep 13, 2018 02:33am

‘Showing his displeasure over the abject performance of various national sports bodies, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday decided to constitute a task force for the revamping of sports sector in the country.’. Change is coming and with it trophys. Stay tuned.

Recommend 0

Neo

Sep 13, 2018 05:40am

@M. Emad. Overall Pakistan had a better tournament. Especially, after a 3 year absence.

Recommend 0

Sep 13, 2018 05:58am

It's just a game. And the truth is both teams are way behind in rankings... So both teams need to improve.

Recommend 0

Sab

Sep 13, 2018 06:42am

Congrats to India and well played Pakistan.

Recommend 0

Pankaj

Sep 13, 2018 07:29am

Our football players hv been sacrificef at the cost of lazy cricket ..a great injustice is being done specially to hockey athletics ..

Recommend 0

Pankaj

Sep 13, 2018 07:37am

Cricket has destroyed our all sports .

Recommend 0

Wahab

Sep 13, 2018 07:53am

Boys played well

Recommend 0

Sep 13, 2018 08:45am

what pathetic ground condition

Recommend 0

Be honest

Sep 13, 2018 09:21am

Best of luck Pakistan team. Played well. Want to see more effort from Pakistan side. Congrats India for their win.

Recommend 0

Ali Vaqar Awan

Sep 14, 2018 09:40am

Pakistan did pretty well to reach last 4 given that playing after long lay-off of 3 years. Our teams needs to play more friendlies and need to have PSL type league to improve our playing standard. Football needs to be given the importance for it in order to grow.

Recommend 0

Sanjeev Yadav

Sep 14, 2018 01:22pm

@Ashton I was also looking him......

Recommend 0

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Sep 14, 2018 07:54pm

Congratulations to the winners and to their challengers.

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Allied Bank sets new benchmark in customer experience with Pakistan’s first humanoid robot

This deployment aligns with the bank’s broader strategy to leverage emerging technologies to provide efficient, accessible and customer-focused banking solutions.