Pakistan’s national football team suffered a painful 3-2 defeat to arch-rivals India in their SAFF Championship opening match at Dhaka’s National Stadium on Thursday, despite mounting an extraordinary late comeback that included one of the tournament’s most spectacular goals.
Trailing 3-0 at the interval, the Shaheens appeared destined for a heavy defeat before producing two stunning strikes deep into stoppage time that briefly threatened an improbable rescue mission.
Najeebullah opened Pakistan’s account in the second minute of added time, powering a bullet header past Indian goalkeeper Arsh Anwer Shaikh from a Junaid Shah delivery to register his maiden international goal. The stadium had barely processed that strike when Alamgir Ghazi produced a moment of individual brilliance two minutes later.
Receiving a pass from McKeal Abdullah with his back to goal, Alamgir lifted the ball, swivelled mid-air, and executed a sensational overhead kick that flew into the far corner, reducing the deficit to 3-2 and sending Pakistani supporters into delirium. The Shaheens launched one final desperate attack seeking an equaliser, but India’s defence held firm through the remaining seconds to secure all three Group B points.
The defeat leaves coach Nolberto Solano’s side with significant ground to recover in a tournament where Pakistan entered with diminished expectations. The team was missing several key players who had represented the nation at the FIFA ASEAN Cup just weeks earlier, and the absence showed during a catastrophic opening 45 minutes.
India seized control early, with Suhail Ahmad Bhat opening the scoring in the 14th minute following a swift attacking sequence. The forward struck again six minutes later to double the advantage before Manglenthang Kipgen added a third just past the half-hour mark, leaving Pakistan reeling.
Pakistan had a golden opportunity to respond when Hayyaan Khattak earned a penalty after being fouled inside the box, but Shayek Dost’s effort sailed harmlessly over the crossbar, preserving India’s commanding three-goal cushion heading into the break.
Solano attempted to salvage the situation with multiple substitutions, bringing on striker McKeal Abdullah before halftime and introducing Umar Nawaz and Muhammad Junaid during the interval. However, injuries to left-back Abdul Rehman and Shayek Dost further disrupted Pakistan’s rhythm, forcing additional changes that prevented any sustained second-half momentum until the dramatic finale.
Despite India maintaining territorial dominance, Pakistan created sporadic chances. Najeebullah came agonisingly close to scoring earlier when Abdullah set him up, only for Shaikh to produce a crucial save that seemed to have sealed India’s victory—until the stoppage-time fireworks.
The Shaheens now face a must-win situation when they meet Maldives on Sunday at 2:30pm Pakistan time in their final Group B fixture. Only the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals, meaning Pakistan’s tournament survival depends on securing a positive result and hoping other results fall favourably.
While the late goals provided some consolation and demonstrated the team’s fighting spirit, the opening-half collapse against their fiercest rivals will sting deeply for Pakistani football supporters, who had hoped for better against India regardless of the squad’s limitations.
