Maldives eliminated from SAFF Championship after 1-0 loss to India's B team

The Maldives national football team has been eliminated from the SAFF Championship 2026 after losing 1-0 to India in their final group-stage match at the National Stadium in Dhaka. With the defeat, the Maldives exit at the group stage for the second consecutive time, and it is the first time in the history of the SAFF tournament that the Maldives have finished a tournament without scoring a goal. The Maldives had lost their opening match 3-0 to Pakistan and needed a strong result against India to keep alive hopes of reaching the semi-finals, but the team failed to convert the opportunities they created and the match ended in India's favour. India took the lead in the 38th minute through a penalty by Suhail Ahmed Bhatt. The spot kick was awarded for a foul by Maldives defender Hussain Shifau Yoosuf (Cro) inside the area. The Maldives played better in the second half, pushing forward and creating dangerous attacks. In the latter part of the match, powerful shots from Ibrahim Aisam, substitute Mozdhan Hassan and Eethan Ibrahim Zaki were stopped by India's goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey. This is the lowest result among the 13 times the Maldives have competed in the SAFF Championship. Under head coach Istvan Urbani, the team has exited the tournament with a record the like of which has not been seen in Maldivian football history. The Maldives are the only team to finish the tournament having lost both matches played and without scoring a single goal.