Suhail's penalty goal helps India sail past Maldives into SAFF Championship semis
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Dhaka: A dominant India beat Maldives 1-0 to enter the semifinals of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship. A first-half strike by Suhail Ahmad Bhat sealed the game for the Blue Tigers in their Group B match here on Wednesday.
Heading into this game, India needed a draw or win to guarantee a spot in the semifinals and top Group B. Suhail Ahmad put India ahead with a 38th-minute penalty after Abdul Rabeeh was fouled in the box.
Pakistan qualified as second in the group with 3 points, while Maldives were knocked out of the tournament without a win. Coached by Under-23 manager Naushad Moosa, India is fielding a young squad in the tournament as the senior team is scheduled to play friendlies against New Zealand.
(With PTI inputs).
