Sports
India hold off Pakistan 3-2 in SAFF Championship opener
Suhail Bhat scored twice as the defending champions led 3-0 at half-time in Dhaka, before two late Pakistan goals.
In short
3-2India's win over Pakistan
- Suhail Bhat: 2 goals
- India led 3-0 at half-time
- Next: vs Maldives, 11 Nov
What happened
India began their SAFF Championship title defence with a 3-2 win over Pakistan at Dhaka's National Stadium on Thursday. Suhail Ahmad Bhat scored in the 13th and 19th minutes and Manglenthang Kipgen added a third in the 31st.
Pakistan missed a first-half penalty and scored twice in stoppage time to make the finish nervy.
What's next
India top Group B and play the Maldives on 11 November. The top two from each group reach the semi-finals, and the final is on 17 November.
This is the 15th edition of South Asia's top football tournament, with six teams taking part. India are the defending champions and the most successful side in SAFF history.
