MALE: Pakistan’s exited the SAFF Under-20 Championship following a 3-0 defeat to India in their final Group ‘B’ match at the National Stadium here on Thursday.

An early goalkeeping error in the second minute allowed India’s right forward Vishal Yadav to open the scoring.

Pakistan recovered from the early setback and saw more possession for periods of the first half, although India retained their lead at the interval.

After the restart, Pakistan maintained defensive organisation while attempting to push forward. In the 63rd minute, Pakistan appealed for a penalty after a handball incident, but the referee allowed play to continue. India immediately counterattacked, and forward Omang Dodum headed into an unguarded net after the ball deflected away from the Pakistani defence and goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Pakistan attempted to respond but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities against a compact Indian defence. In the 88th minute, a mistimed tackle inside the penalty area resulted in a penalty for India, which Dodum converted to complete the scoring.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2026