Maldives 0
lost to
India 11 (Priyangka Devi Naorem 11’ 17’, Pyari Xaxa 28’, Aveka Singh 34’ 66’ 70’ 86’, Grace Dangmei 40’, Karishma Shirvoikar 53’ 68’, Sangita Basfore 60’)

AIFF Media Team

MARGAO, GOA: The Indian senior women’s team began their 2026 SAFF Women’s Championship campaign in emphatic fashion with a commanding 11-0 victory against Maldives in Group B at the PJN Stadium in Margao on Monday, May 25.

Playing their first-ever international match in Goa, the Blue Tigresses underlined the gulf between the two sides — India ranked 69th in the FIFA Women’s Rankings and Maldives 167th — with a dominant display from start to finish.

Earlier in the day, Nepal opened the tournament with a 1-0 win against Bhutan in a Group A encounter.

Aveka Singh starred with four goals, while Priyangka Devi Naorem and Karishma Shirvoikar netted two each. Pyari Xaxa, Grace Dangmei and Sangita Basfore also found the scoresheet as India registered their biggest win in the SAFF Women’s Championship since the 12-0 triumph against Afghanistan in 2014.

The result placed India at the top of Group B with three points from their opening match. The Blue Tigresses will next face Bangladesh at the same venue on Sunday, May 31, at 19:30 IST. Should Maldives fail to defeat Bangladesh in their next match on May 28, India will qualify for the semi-finals before Sunday's game.

India imposed themselves from the opening whistle and repeatedly looked to stretch the Maldives defence through the flanks, with Sarita Yumnam proving particularly influential on the right with her early deliveries into the box.

The hosts thought they had taken the lead in the fifth minute when Grace burst down the left and squared the ball for Pyari Xaxa to tap home at the far post, but the assistant referee raised the flag for offside.

Crispin Chettri’s side, however, continued to maintain a high press and pinned Maldives deep inside their own half. The breakthrough arrived in the 11th minute from a well-worked short corner routine. Sangita found Priyangka inside the box, and the midfielder bundled the ball home from close range to mark her return from an ACL injury with a goal in her first appearance back for India.

India continued to create openings at regular intervals. Jasoda Munda fired over from close range in the 14th minute after Maldives goalkeeper Fathimath Sausan’s attempted clearance fell kindly to her inside the box.

Seven minutes later, after the opening goal, Aveka split the Maldives defence with a precise through ball for Priyangka, who kept her composure and slotted past Sausan for India’s second.

India added a third in the 28th minute through Pyari, who received Priyangka’s pass in space before curling an effort from outside the box past Sausan despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the ball.

Grace then headed wide from a dangerous cross at the far post before India struck again from a set-piece in the 34th minute. Aveka opted to go directly from a long-range free-kick and her dipping effort deceived Sausan to hand the forward her second international goal in as many matches.

The Blue Tigresses continued to press forward and scored their fifth in the 40th minute. Jasoda floated the ball towards the far post from a short-corner routine, and Grace arrived unmarked to finish first time. Jasoda nearly added her own name to the scoresheet two minutes later, but her long-range strike crashed against the crossbar.

India went into the break with complete control of the contest, reflected in 63 per cent possession, 19 attempts to Maldives’ one, and eight shots on target without allowing the visitors a single effort on frame.

The hosts resumed the second half with the same attacking intent, and Aveka nearly added another within 30 seconds of the restart after capitalising on a defensive error, though her effort drifted narrowly wide.

Priyangka also came close to completing her hat-trick in the 51st minute when she latched onto a loose ball near the box, but her shot rolled just past the post.

India’s sixth goal arrived two minutes later as Sarita delivered an inviting cross from the right, and substitute Karishma timed her run well to guide a header into the bottom corner.

Grace struck the roof of the net soon after as India continued to push forward despite their sizeable advantage. Their attacking momentum remained intact, and the seventh goal followed in the 60th minute when Aveka laid the ball into Sangita’s path at the edge of the box, allowing the midfielder to rifle a first-time effort beyond the diving Sausan.

Maldives goalkeeper Sausan then produced a sharp save to deny Aveka after good work from Malavika down the right flank, but India struck again in the 66th minute. Aveka rose highest to meet Sarita’s corner and powered home a header for her second goal of the evening.

Two minutes later, India transitioned quickly on the counter as Aveka released Malavika down the right before the winger squared for Karishma to finish first time at the near post, marking a special evening for the local Goan girl as she scored her first brace for the country.

Aveka completed her first India hat-trick in the 70th minute after Karishma advanced into the box and picked out the unmarked forward, who calmly placed her effort into the bottom corner.

Despite the scoreline, India maintained their attacking intensity in difficult, hot and humid conditions, with head coach Chettri continuing to urge his side forward from the touchline.

Aveka eventually rounded off the scoring in the 86th minute, meeting Malavika’s cross from the right with a diving header to complete her four-goal haul and cap a dominant attacking display from the Blue Tigresses.

India: Shreya Hooda (GK) (Ribansi Jamu 78'), Purnima Kumari, Juli Kishan (Thoibisana Chanu Toijam 71'), Sangita Basfore, Pyari Xaxa (Malavika P 46'), Grace Dangmei (C), Ranjana Chanu Sorokhaibam, Priyangka Devi Naorem, Jasoda Munda (Karishma Shirvoikar 46'), Aveka Singh, Sarita Yumnam.