India, the defending champions, will face Bhutan in the first semi-final of the SAFF Championship 2026 at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday, 14 November. Kick-off is at 2:30 PM IST. The winner will play either hosts Bangladesh or Pakistan, who meet in the second semi-final later the same day, in the final on Tuesday, 17 November.
How India got here
India finished top of Group B with six points. They opened with a 3-2 win over Pakistan, according to Khel Now. India led 3-0 at half-time, but Pakistan pulled two goals back in stoppage time, the second of them in the 94th minute.
In the last group game on Wednesday, India beat Maldives 1-0. The Open Press reports that Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, his third goal in two matches, and that goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey made several late saves to protect the lead. Khel Now notes that head coach Naushad Moosa made seven changes for that match and later pointed to unnecessary back passes and loss of possession under pressure. Pakistan finished second in Group B with three points and Maldives went home without a point.
Who Bhutan are
Bhutan are ranked 192nd in the world and are the clear underdogs. They lost their opening game 1-0 to Bangladesh, then drew 2-2 with Sri Lanka after trailing at half-time. Bangladesh's 4-0 win over Sri Lanka in the last group game put Bhutan through as Group A runners-up on goal difference, so their progress depended on another team's result. It is their first semi-final since 2008, and India were the opponents then too, according to Khel Now. They are coached by Gary Phillips, an Australian who has been in charge since August 2026.
India are favourites on paper, but Khel Now points out that the group games gave little reason for comfort. The squad is young, several first-choice players are away with the national team on friendlies in New Zealand, and Moosa has had only two training sessions before the semi-final. Defence is the area to watch after the late goals conceded against Pakistan.
VAR arrives in SAFF football
The semi-finals and the final will use VAR for the first time in the tournament's history, according to the Open Press and Sportstar. Sportstar reports that it will be a remote system: live footage from Dhaka goes to a central operations hub in Thailand, where certified video match officials review incidents and advise the referees under the IFAB protocol. The same arrangement was used at the ASEAN Championships, and the system is run by a FIFA-certified technology provider based in Spain.
SAFF general secretary Purushottam Kattel told PTI that the aim is to raise the profile of the competition and that the organisers hope there will be no glitches. He said bringing the equipment to Dhaka would have cost more, and that the remote setup costs between $800 and $900 per match. Dhaka's National Stadium has a review area and a technical operations area installed.
The stakes
India already hold nine SAFF titles and beat Kuwait in the final of the 2023 edition in Bengaluru. Two more wins would give them a record 10th crown. A win over Bhutan would send them to the final on Tuesday.
How to follow
The match starts at 2:30 PM IST on Saturday. Check the broadcaster's listing in your area, as the sources we read did not confirm one for India.
What happens next
If India win, they play the winner of Bangladesh versus Pakistan on 17 November. If they lose, the tournament ends for the defending champions. Because the game is the first with VAR in this event, expect the technology itself to be a talking point if any decision goes to review.
