Bhutan reached the SAFF semi-finals without winning a game, and India knocked them out the last time they got this far
India’s second-string SAFF side face Bhutan in Dhaka on Saturday, in Bhutan’s first semi-final since India beat them in extra time in 2008.
Nov 13, 2026
Bhutan are in the SAFF Championship semi-finals without having won a game. They lost 1-0 to Bangladesh, drew 2-2 with Sri Lanka, and then watched Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka 4-0 on Wednesday, which put Bhutan through as Group A runners-up on goal difference.
That gives India, the defending champions, a semi-final against them at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday, 14 November. Kick-off is at 2:30pm IST. Bangladesh play Pakistan in the other semi-final later on Saturday, and the final is on 17 November.
The last time Bhutan got this far
This is Bhutan’s first SAFF semi-final since 2008, and India were their opponents then too. Wangay Dorji gave Bhutan an 18th-minute lead in Malé, Sunil Chhetri equalised, and Gouramangi Singh won it for India in the 120th minute.
Chencho Gyeltshen, Bhutan’s captain and all-time leading scorer, is the man India have to watch. Against Sri Lanka he had a penalty saved, then scored the 76th-minute equaliser that kept Bhutan in the tournament. Dawa Tshering scored their other goal that night.
They kept the hosts out for 68 minutes in their opening game, too. Bangladesh had most of the ball and needed a volley from the substitute Mohammad Ibrahim to win it.
India’s makeshift side
India have won both their games, 3-2 against Pakistan and 1-0 against Maldives, and Suhail Ahmad Bhat has scored all but one of their four goals. Naushad Moosa’s squad is a second-string one, though. Khalid Jamil took the senior players to New Zealand for two friendlies, and Bijoy Varghese, who was meant to captain the side in Dhaka, went with them. Chinglensana Singh has worn the armband instead.
Moosa has also had very little time with this group. According to Khel Now, India have had only two training sessions between the Maldives game and the semi-final.
India should win this. They have the better players, and Bhutan have scored two goals in two games. But this India side has not looked comfortable yet. It let a 3-0 half-time lead over Pakistan become 3-2 in stoppage time, and against Maldives it needed Priyansh Dubey’s late saves to keep a clean sheet. Chencho has already missed one big chance in this tournament. Give him another late on and I doubt he misses twice.