India U-20 Crush Pakistan 3-0 to Book SAFF Championship Semis
India’s Under-20 football team swept past Pakistan 3-0 in their Group B opener at the SAFF U-20 Championship 2026 on Thursday, March 26, at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives. Vishal Yadav struck in the 3rd minute, and Omang Dodum wrapped it up with a clinical brace in the 64th and 88th minutes.
The result sealed India’s semi-final berth while simultaneously eliminating arch-rivals Pakistan — delivering both objectives in a single dominant performance from the Blue Colts.
“Vishal’s early goal gave us the confidence to push forward and control the game,” an AIFF team official told The Bridge. Dodum’s second-half showing highlighted the depth in India’s attacking options. India will now face one of the other qualifying group winners in the semi-finals, still in Male. The result reinforces India’s position as the strongest youth football nation in South Asia.