Pakistan recorded their first win of the SAFF Championship 2026 on Sunday, beating the Maldives 3-0 at the National Football Stadium in Dhaka to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
The goals all came in a ruthless first half. McKeal Aroon Abdullah converted a penalty in the fourth minute to settle any nerves, and Najeebullah Bettani then struck twice before the interval to put the game beyond the Maldives. The second half was goalless, but the damage had been done and Pakistan saw out a clean sheet with something to spare.
Bettani’s Brace Decides the SAFF Championship 2026 Group B Clash
The early penalty was the perfect start for a side that needed a response. Four days earlier, Pakistan’s campaign had opened with a narrow 3-2 defeat to India: Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored twice early for India, and although Pakistan scored twice in stoppage time in a frantic finish, the comeback fell just short. There was no such drama against the Maldives. Abdullah’s spot kick gave Pakistan control, and Bettani’s brace meant the second half was about game management rather than chasing.
The result also rewarded the preparation that went into this campaign. The squad was moulded during a training camp in Islamabad under head coach Nolberto Solano, the former Peru international, as we covered before the tournament. Pakistan’s side blends diaspora players with talent from the domestic game, a group still learning to play together, which makes three goals and a clean sheet a significant afternoon’s work.
A Tournament of Small Margins
Group B contains just three teams, India, Pakistan and the Maldives, which leaves no room for a bad day. Pakistan’s two matches are now played: a 3-2 loss and a 3-0 win, three points, and a goal difference that could still matter. India, who are yet to play the Maldives, hold the group’s remaining card.
Pakistan have never won the SAFF Championship, South Asia’s regional title, and deep runs have been rare in recent editions. That history is part of why Sunday’s win was celebrated so warmly: it was not only the three points, but the manner of them, an early penalty taken calmly, a striker in form, and a defence that protected the lead without panic.
Inside the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, where Group B of the SAFF Championship 2026 is being played (file photo)
Photo: CAPTAIN RAJU, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
R E A D M O R E
In June 2026, Pakistan Won Its First International Football Title in 74 Years
Qualification Still to Be Decided on Wednesday
For all the celebrations, Pakistan’s place in the semi-finals is not yet confirmed, and it would be wrong to report it as settled. Their fate rests on the final Group B match on Wednesday 11 November, when India play the Maldives at 3:00 PM India time. Pakistan need India to win that game to be sure of progressing; a draw or a Maldives victory would throw the group into points and goal difference calculations that Pakistan cannot control.
If they do go through, the semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday 14 November in Dhaka, with the final on Tuesday 17 November. Whatever happens on Wednesday, this young side has already given its supporters a famous afternoon, a brace from Bettani, a clean sheet, and a first SAFF Championship 2026 win to build on. More football and other results are collected on our Pakistan Sports Good News page.
Sources
- Geo Super, match report
- SportsCafe, SAFF Championship results
- Featured image: The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, where Pakistan beat the Maldives 3-0 (file photo) (Zubair Mitul, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
- In-body image: Inside the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, the SAFF Championship 2026 venue (file photo) (CAPTAIN RAJU, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Umar Farooq is the founder and editor of Good News Pakistan. An engineer by profession and a writer by passion, he started the site in December 2022 to share good news from Pakistan, and has since written and edited more than 200 articles about its people, sports, science, business and world records. He believes the story of Pakistan is bigger than its headlines, and that good news, told honestly, is worth telling every day.