India beats Pakistan in SAFF Championship, but late goals expose midfield and defensive frailties

India beat Pakistan 3-2 in the SAFF Championship 2026, but two late goals exposed concerns over midfield structure, defensive organisation and preparation.

Updated : Nov 06, 2026 15:53 IST , Chennai - 4 MINS READ

India’s midfield problem came into focus despite victory over Pakistan. | Photo Credit: SAFF Championship

India has enjoyed an overwhelming advantage over Pakistan in football. Across 26 matches, Pakistan has won just thrice, while India has won 13. When the two teams faced off in the opening match of the SAFF Championship 2026, the outcome followed a familiar script, with India walking away with a 3-2 victory.

But the win, against a team ranked 59 places below India, also raised questions about the two late goals conceded. It was the first time since 2005 that Pakistan had scored twice against the Blue Tigers.

For 33 minutes, India, despite fielding a second-string side, was comfortably ahead. Naushad Moosa, who has been in charge of the under-23 side since May 2025, had deployed Noufal PN and Muhammed Suhail on the flanks. The pattern was predictable but effective: the wide players carried the ball into the final third before feeding Suhail Ahmed Bhat or Manglenthang Kipgen. Long balls and through balls alternated to stretch the defence.

Three goals, all scored by 21-year-olds, arrived inside 33 minutes. It would have been music to Moosa’s ears. In a sense, however, that was precisely the problem.

The question that needs to be asked is not ‘how did India score three?’ but ‘why did India stop scoring three?’ The answer lies beyond fatigue. India repeatedly tried to play out from the back, only for its passes to be intercepted. The defence had to come to the rescue time and again.

The reasons were clear: just two training sessions before the tournament and a midfield lacking experience and a deep-lying playmaker capable of receiving the ball and progressing it to a No. 8. Without that receiver, playing out from the back becomes a gamble. And gambles depend on chances rather than strategy.

That left India vulnerable. With the match falling outside the FIFA window, India had just 17 players available. By the time Moosa made his five changes, he had only one conventional defender left: Nathan Rodrigues.

Pakistan, under Newcastle United legend Nolberto Solano, understood the game it was in. It prioritised patience over pressure. Whenever India lost the ball in its own half, Pakistan launched a counter-attack. In the final quarter, it went all guns blazing, sending consecutive crosses in from either flank. It took just one mistimed jump by India’s defence for Najeeb Ullah, introduced after the hour mark, to head home.

Rattled, India tried to shut down one flank but conceded from the other. Alamgir Ghazi’s deft first touch beat Ricky Shabong in the box. It was a shoddy defensive response from a side scrambling to regain its shape after limited preparation.

Questions must also be asked about selection, particularly the decision to go with Arsh Shaikh. The Kerala Blasters goalkeeper had conceded four against NorthEast United before being replaced by Amrinder Singh. Priyansh Dubey, who has not started for Mohun Bagan Super Giant, had five clean sheets in six matches.

But goalkeeping is only one part of the problem, a symptom rather than the disease. The deeper issues are incomplete rosters, short national camps and little time to finalise functional combinations.

India, however, won. The danger was averted, but the risk of being punished for making bricks without straw remains. India plays the Maldives on November 11, with a full squad and domestic commitments completed.

The individual quality ceiling will rise. Whether the midfield structure rises with it is another question. If it does, India can continue to hope to extend its record to a 10th SAFF Championship title.