Malé, March 26: A second-half brace from Omang Dodum guided the Indian U20 men’s team to a convincing 3-0 victory over Pakistan in their opening Group B encounter of the SAFF U20 Championship 2026 in Malé on Thursday. The high-octane clash at the National Football Stadium in Malé saw the Blue Colts secure their spot in the semifinals while simultaneously eliminating Pakistan from the tournament.
Dodum struck in the 64th and 88th minutes after Vishal Yadav had handed the Blue Colts an early advantage in the third minute. The win not only gave India a perfect start but also secured their place in the semi-finals. Pakistan, having lost both their matches after a defeat to Bangladesh two days before, are now eliminated from the competition. The top spot in Group B will be decided when India face Bangladesh on Saturday.
India began on the front foot and created an opportunity within two minutes. Vishal Yadav surged down the right flank and delivered a dangerous cross into the box for Omang Dodum, but the forward was unable to convert. In just the third minute, Gurnaj Singh displayed exceptional vision, floating a perfectly weighted through-ball into the box.
The breakthrough came moments later. Spotting Yadav’s run, Gurnaj Singh Grewal lofted a ball over the Pakistan defence. The winger controlled it well and attempted a shot that was blocked. However, he reacted quickly to the rebound and finished with his left foot at the near post to give India an early lead.The goal lifted India’s confidence, but Pakistan gradually settled into the contest and began to test the Indian defence. They came close to equalising on two occasions, only to be denied by goalkeeper Suraj Singh Aheibam, who produced a couple of excellent saves.First, Khobaib Khan lifted a ball for Najeebullah, who managed to get past Roshan Singh Thangjam. As he prepared to shoot, Suraj rushed off his line and made a timely intervention. Soon after, Najeebullah flicked a header into the path of Khan, but the Pakistan attacker’s attempt was once again kept out by the alert Indian goalkeeper.While Pakistan created several equalising opportunities in the first half, the Indian defence and goalkeeper Suraj Aheibam stood tall, making crucial saves to maintain the clean sheet. Pakistan’s missed opportunities proved costly. (IANS)
