NT Reporter
Fatorda
India and defending champions Bangladesh booked their places in the final of the SAFF Women’s Championship 2026 after hard-fought semifinal victories at Margao, on Wednesday.
India edged Bhutan 1-0 in a tense encounter, while Bangladesh staged a late comeback to defeat Nepal 2-1 and reach their third consecutive final.
Despite dominating possession, India found it difficult to break down Bhutan’s disciplined defence for large spells of the contest. Karishma Shirvoikar nearly handed India an early lead after capitalising on a goalkeeping error, while Bhutan also threatened through set-pieces, forcing India’s defence into a crucial block from Dorji’s powerful header.
India head coach Crispin Chettri introduced Malavika and Manisha Kalyan after halftime, and the substitutions added urgency to the attack.
The breakthrough arrived in the 57th minute when Aveka Singh’s effort ricocheted into the path of Sanfida, who kept her composure before finishing past goalkeeper Sangita. India continued pressing for another goal through Pyari Xaxa and Malavika, but Bhutan defended resolutely to keep the deficit narrow.
The Indian backline, led by Panthoi Chanu, also survived a few nervy moments late in the game to secure the clean sheet and seal a place in the final.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh recovered from a goal down to beat Nepal 2-1 in a thrilling semifinal.
Nepal made a bright start and took the lead in the 23rd minute when Gita Rana headed home from Deepa Shahi’s corner. Bangladesh pushed hard for an equaliser but lacked finishing precision, while Nepal almost doubled the advantage when Preeti Rai’s long-range strike rattled the post after a touch from goalkeeper Mile Akter.
Bangladesh finally levelled in first-half stoppage time as Rituparna Chakma scored directly from a corner in the 45+1st minute.
The defending champions dominated the second half with sustained attacking pressure and eventually found the winner deep into stoppage time when substitute Sagarika struck in the 90+3rd minute to complete a dramatic comeback and keep Bangladesh’s hopes of a third successive SAFF Women’s Championship title alive.
