SAFF Championship: Suhail Bhat penalty takes India into semis as group toppers
Dhaka: Suhail Ahmad Bhat’s 38th-minute penalty and Priyansh Dubey’s late saves took India into the SAFF Championship semifinals with a 1-0 win over Maldives in their final Group B match at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The defending champions finished the group stage with six points, ahead of Pakistan on three, while Maldives bowed out without a point.
India will face either Bangladesh, Bhutan or Sri Lanka in the semifinal on November 14. The opponents will be confirmed after the last Group A match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka takes place later on Wednesday.
Head coach Naushad Moosa made seven changes to the side that defeated Pakistan 3-2, with Abhishek Suryavanshi, Muhammed Uvais, Suhail Ahmad Bhat and Ricky Shabong retaining their places. Priyansh Dubey replaced Arsh Anwer Shaikh in goal, while Chinglensana Singh Konsham took over the captaincy after Bijoy Varghese departed for New Zealand.
Bhat tested Hussain Shareef early with a near-post effort, but India had to wait for a penalty to take the lead.
Abdul Rabeeh dispossessed Hussain Sifaau Yoosuf and was brought down by the defender inside the box. Bhat sent Shareef the wrong way, placing his kick into the bottom-left corner.
The goal took Bhat’s tournament tally to three following his first-half brace in India’s win over Pakistan. Manglenthang Kipgen had scored India’s other goal in that match. Irfan Yadwad and Kipgen replaced Rabeeh and Nickson at half-time. Vishnu PV came on for Bhat in the 65th minute.
Dubey saved Ali Hamdhaan’s free-kick in the 79th minute and Muzdhaan Hassan’s shot five minutes later. His most important intervention came in stoppage time, when he rushed out and blocked Ethan Ibrahim Zaki’s close-range attempt with his face.
Moosa had called for better concentration and game management after India conceded twice in added time against Pakistan. That match had ended nervously despite India establishing a three-goal lead before the interval. This time, Dubey’s interventions helped preserve the clean sheet.