India beat Maldives 1-0 at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday to finish top of Group B and book a place in the semifinals of the 15th SAFF Championship.
Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 39th minute. Abdul Rabeeh was brought down inside the box by Maldives defender Hussain Sifaau Yoosuf, and Bhat converted the kick. It was Bhat's third goal of the tournament. He had scored twice in India's 3-2 win over Pakistan in their opening match on November 5.
India made seven changes to their starting lineup for the game. They held most of the possession but struggled to break down a cautious Maldives defense. Bhat had a chance as early as the fourth minute after Brison Fernandes played him through, but he missed.
Maldives created more danger late in the match, and India goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey had to make several saves. He stopped a free kick from Hamdhaan and a shot from Muzdhaan Hassan. In stoppage time, he also denied substitute Ethan Ibrahim Zaki from close range.
The win took India to 6 points from two matches at the top of Group B. The defeat ended Maldives' campaign. Pakistan, who lost to India in the opening match, also qualified from the group.
India will face the runners-up of Group A in the first semifinal on November 14. That game is set for noon, and Bhutan are the opponent. Hosts Bangladesh have also reached the semifinals as winners of Group A after beating Sri Lanka 4-0 on Wednesday. They will play Pakistan in the other semifinal that evening at 8 p.m. The final is scheduled for November 17.
