Bhutan 3 (Jigme Tshultrim 11’, Jetsuen Dorji 15’, Nima Wangdi 35’)
lost to
India 11 (Jonathan Lalrawngbawla 4’, Jignam Seltob Dorji 6’ og, Vincent Laltluangzela 9’, 39’, Lalsawmpuia 15’, Anmol Adhikari 17’, 32’, Seaon Dsouza 34’, Nikhil Mali 40’, 40’, 40’)

Piyush Khanore
AIFF Media Team

NONTHABURI, THAILAND: India registered their first victory of the SAFF Futsal Championship 2026 in emphatic fashion, producing a dominant attacking display to defeat Bhutan 11-3 at the Nonthaburi Stadium on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Nikhil Mali netted a hat-trick – all three of his goals being scored in the last minute of the match. Vincent Laltluangzela and Anmol Adhikari each scored a brace. Jonathan Lalrawngbawla, Lalsawmpuia, and Seaon Dsouza bagged a goal each, while Jignam Seltob Dorji of Bhutan scored an own goal.

The comprehensive win lifted India to fourth place in the standings with five points from four matches. The Futsal Tigers, however, were already out of running for the top spot in the tournament after Maldives defeated Nepal 2-1 earlier in the day. Maldives are currently top of the pile with 12 points from four matches.

India began with clear attacking intent, pressing high and moving the ball sharply across the court. Early efforts from Hafis AM and Anmol Adhikari forced Bhutan goalkeeper Tashi Norbu into action before the breakthrough arrived in the fourth minute. Seaon Dsouza picked out Jonathan Lalrawngbawla, who struck a fierce right-footed effort to open the scoring.

The pressure continued, and India doubled their lead two minutes later when Bhutan’s Jignam Seltob Dorji miscued a clearance and turned the ball into his own net. In the ninth minute, India added a third with a flowing team move as Hafis slid a perfectly weighted pass across goal for Vincent Laltluangzela, who finished with confidence.

Bhutan briefly showed resistance and pulled one back in the 11th minute through Jigme Tshultrim. The goal injected belief into the Bhutan side, and they reduced the deficit further in the 15th minute when Jetsuen Dorji found space and fired a strong right-footed shot into the net despite a touch from Aleef Rahman Mollah.

Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived, however. India struck again almost immediately as Adhikari delivered a teasing ball into the area, which Lalsawmpuia flicked home to restore a three-goal cushion. Laltluangzela then turned provider in the 17th minute, releasing Adhikari with a well-timed through ball, and the forward finished calmly to send India into the interval leading 5-2.

The second period began at a more measured pace, with both sides tightening defensively. However, Bhutan were forced to take risks in search of goals and employed a flying goalkeeper. India exploited the space ruthlessly. In the 32nd minute, Adhikari intercepted possession and rolled the ball into an unguarded net.

Two minutes later, India effectively ended the contest when Nikhil Mali teed up Dsouza, who smashed his effort past the goalkeeper. Bhutan managed a third goal in the 35th minute through Nima Wangdi, but it did little to stem the tide as India continued to dominate.

Laltluangzela struck again in the 39th minute after combining neatly with Hafis, before Mali took centre stage in the closing seconds. The captain dribbled past his marker to score in the 40th minute, then added two more goals in quick succession from rebounds and close-range finishes to score a remarkable one-minute hat-trick.

India’s match squad: 1 Ozen Silva (GK), 2 Aleef Rahman Mollah (GK), 3 Vincent Laltluangzela, 4 Palash Barber, 5 Seaon Dsouza, 6 Lalrinzuala H, 7 Nikhil Mali (C), 8 Lalsawmpuia, 9 Hafis AM, 11 Anmol Adhikari, 12 Tijo Job, 13 Jonathan Lalrawngbawla, 14 K Roluahpuia.