India reached the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship with a 1-0 win over Maldives in their final Group B match at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday. Suhail Bhat scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, and goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey made three late saves to protect the lead.
The result took the defending champions to six points from the group stage, ahead of Pakistan on three, while Maldives bowed out without a point. India will face Bhutan in the semi-final on November 14.
Bhat strikes from the spot
Bhat tested Maldives goalkeeper Hussain Shareef early with a near-post effort, but India had to wait for a penalty to break the deadlock. 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 his tally in the tournament to three, after his first-half brace in India's 3-2 win over Pakistan. Manglenthang Kipgen had scored India's other goal in that match.
Seven changes for the final group game
Head coach Naushad Moosa made seven changes to the side that beat Pakistan 3-2, with Abhishek Suryavanshi, Muhammed Uvais, Suhail Bhat and Ricky Shabong keeping their places.
Priyansh Dubey replaced Arsh Anwer Shaikh in goal, while Chinglensana Singh Konsham took over the captaincy after Bijoy Varghese's departure for New Zealand.
Irfan Yadwad and Kipgen replaced Rabeeh and Nickson at half-time, and Vishnu PV came on for Bhat in the 65th minute.
Dubey holds firm at the end
Maldives pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages. 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 to preserve the clean sheet.
The late drama was a familiar test for India. Moosa had called for better concentration and game management after the side conceded twice in added time against Pakistan, a match that ended nervously despite a three-goal lead before the interval. This time, Dubey's interventions saw India through, and attention now turns to the semi-final against Bhutan on November 14.
