India Women Thrash Maldives 11-0 to Begin SAFF Women’s Championship 2026 in Dominant Fashion

The India women's national football team began their SAFF Women’s Championship 2026 campaign with a ruthless 11-0 victory over Maldives women's national football team at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, on Monday.

In one of the most dominant performances of the tournament so far, India completely overwhelmed the Maldives from start to finish, with Aveka Singh emerging as the standout performer after scoring four goals and providing two assists. The emphatic victory gives India an ideal start in Group B ahead of a much tougher challenge against defending champions Bangladesh women's national football team on May 31.

Ranked 69th in the FIFA women’s rankings, India entered the match as overwhelming favourites against world No. 167 Maldives and immediately established control. The hosts almost opened the scoring inside the first five minutes when captain Grace Dangmei unselfishly squared the ball for Pyari Xaxa to finish into an open net. However, the goal was ruled out for offside.

India did not have to wait long for the breakthrough. In the 11th minute, Priyangka Naorem marked her return to the national team after recovering from an ACL injury with a goal from close range following a dangerous cross from Sangita Basfore.

The early goal settled India completely and exposed the defensive gap between the two sides. India continued attacking relentlessly and nearly doubled their advantage moments later, but Pyari Xaxa was denied by the Maldives goalkeeper. Priyangka Naorem, however, soon made it 2-0 with a composed finish after latching onto a precise through ball inside the penalty area.

The midfielder’s sharp movement and confidence in front of goal provided one of the biggest positives for India, especially after her lengthy injury absence. Pyari Xaxa finally got onto the scoresheet in the 28th minute when her long-range effort slipped through the hands of the Maldives goalkeeper. By that stage, India had complete territorial dominance while Maldives struggled to retain possession or progress beyond midfield.

The match increasingly turned into the Aveka Singh show. The young forward scored her first goal through a free-kick that bounced awkwardly in front of the Maldives goalkeeper before finding the net. Just before half-time, skipper Grace Dangmei added India’s fifth goal to effectively end the contest before the break. Leading 5-0 at half-time, India showed no intention of slowing down after the restart.

Aveka continued tormenting the Maldives defence with intelligent movement and aggressive attacking runs. She added three more goals during the second half, completing a four-goal performance that also included two assists. Her finishing, positional awareness and involvement throughout attacking transitions made this arguably one of the most impactful individual displays of the tournament so far.

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India’s dominance became even more one-sided during the second half as the hosts repeatedly exploited spaces in the Maldives defensive structure. Karishma Shirvoikar scored twice, while Sangita Basfore also added her name to the scoresheet after an influential all-round performance in midfield. India’s attacking combinations consistently stretched Maldives across wide areas, and the difference in technical quality became increasingly visible as the game progressed.

In contrast, Maldives barely threatened India’s goal throughout the match. Goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu remained largely untested for the full 90 minutes. While the result itself was expected, the scale of the victory sends an important message ahead of India’s next group-stage fixture. India are record five-time champions of the SAFF Women’s Championship, but the competition has become significantly more competitive in recent years particularly with Bangladesh emerging as a serious regional force.

The upcoming India vs Bangladesh clash now becomes one of the biggest matches of the group stage. Bangladesh defeated India in the previous edition to end India’s long-standing dominance and enter this year’s tournament as defending champions. That context makes India’s opening performance especially significant psychologically.

Beyond the scoreline, several aspects of India’s performance will encourage the coaching staff. Priyangka Naorem’s successful return after injury, Aveka Singh’s explosive finishing display, and the team’s overall attacking fluidity all provided major positives. India also maintained intensity despite building a large lead early an important trait in tournament football where goal difference can become crucial.

However, the real test of India’s title credentials will come against stronger opposition.

The Maldives match demonstrated India’s superiority against lower-ranked teams. The clash against Bangladesh will reveal whether the hosts can translate that attacking confidence into performances against the region’s elite sides.