India Women hammer Maldives 11-0 in SAFF Championship opener
Panaji, May 25
The Indian women's football team began its SAFF Women's Championship 2026 campaign dominantly, thrashing the Maldives 11-0 in their opening Group B match at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, on Monday.
Aveka Singh starred with four goals (34', 66', 70', 86'), while Priyangka Naorem (11', 17') and Karishma (53', 68') scored braces each. Pyari Xaxa (28'), Dangmei Grace (40'), and Sangita Basfore (60') also got on the scoresheet in the emphatic win, as per Olympics.com.
Ranked 69th in the FIFA women's rankings, India asserted control from the outset against the 167th-ranked Maldives and rarely allowed their opponents a foothold in the contest.
India had the ball in the back of the Maldives net just before the five-minute mark after Dangmei Grace selflessly set up Pyari Xaxa for a tap-in. The goal, however, was ruled out due to an offside. The hosts went ahead six minutes later, though, as Priyangka Devi, returning to the squad after recovering from an ACL injury, got the final touch on a Sangita Basfore cross from close range.
India nearly doubled their advantage moments later, but Pyari Xaxa was denied by the Maldives goalkeeper. Priyangka Naorem, however, made no mistake soon after, latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball before calmly finishing from inside the box to grab her second goal of the match.
Xaxa finally found the back of the net just before the half-hour mark, as the Maldives custodian failed to deal with the Indian forward's long-range effort.
The goalkeeper endured another difficult moment when Aveka Singh's free-kick bounced awkwardly in front of her and crept in to make it 4-0. India captain Dangmei Grace then added a fifth before the half-time whistle to cap off a dominant opening 45 minutes.
Holding a commanding lead, India showed no signs of easing up after the break, adding six more goals in the second half. Aveka Singh accounted for three of them, while also registering two assists to finish the match with an impressive six-goal contribution.
Record five-time SAFF Women's Championship champions India will face reigning champions Bangladesh in their next match on Sunday.
— ANI
Reader Comments
So proud of our girls! 🙌 11-0 is a dominant statement. But I have to say - the defending by Maldives was quite poor. Our team needs to maintain this intensity against stronger opponents. Looking forward to the match against Bangladesh on Sunday. That will show our true progress.
Impressive scoreline but honestly, matches like these don't help Indian football improve. The gap between India and Maldives is just too big. Need more competitive friendlies and better opposition. Still, happy for Aveka - 4 goals is a great achievement.
What a comeback story for Priyangka Naorem! After that ACL injury, scoring a brace in the opening match is incredible. ❤️ Our women's team is showing real dedication. But I wish AIFF would invest more in women's grassroots football. We have talent but need proper infrastructure.
Great win but my concern is our defense wasn't really tested. Maldives didn't have a single shot on target. Against Bangladesh, who beat us 3-1 last time, we need to be much sharper at the back. Aveka Singh looks like a real talent though - her movement and finishing were world-class today.
Clinical performance! 11 different goal scorers (well, some multiple times) shows the depth in this squad. But I'm a bit worried about the over-reliance on Aveka - she had 4 goals and 2 assists. Need more players to step up against tougher teams. Still, a win is a win! 🇮
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