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India Drawn with Bangladesh, Maldives in SAFF Women's Championship 2026

Hosts India have been drawn with Bangladesh and Maldives in Group B of the SAFF Women's Championship 2026. The tournament will be held from May 25 to June 6 in Margao, Goa. India are the most successful side with five titles, while Bangladesh are the defending champions. India's recent form includes a 3-2 win over Malawi and U17 success against Bangladesh.

Key Points: SAFF Women's C'ship: India in Group B with Bangladesh, Maldives

  • India in Group B with Bangladesh and Maldives
  • Tournament in Margao, Goa from May 25-June 6
  • India most successful with 5 titles; Bangladesh defending champion
  • India U17 beat Bangladesh 4-0 in SAFF U19 final earlier this year
2 min read

SAFF Women's C'ship: Hosts India grouped with Bangladesh and Maldives

Hosts India face Bangladesh and Maldives in Group B of SAFF Women's Championship 2026. Tournament runs May 25-June 6 in Margao, Goa.

"The Blue Tigresses will also take confidence from recent success at the youth level. - News Report"

New Delhi, April 22

Hosts India have been clubbed with Bangladesh and Maldives in Group B of the SAFF Women's Championship 2026, following the official draw conducted at the SAFF Secretariat in Dhaka.

The regional showpiece is scheduled to be held from May 25 to June 6 in Margao, with all matches to be played at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Group A features Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the semi-finals.

This edition marks only the second time that India will host the SAFF Women's Championship, having previously staged it in 2016 in Siliguri, where the hosts lifted the trophy. It will also be a return of SAFF action to Goa, which earlier hosted the men's championship in 1999 at the same venue.

The draw was conducted based on the latest FIFA Women's World Rankings released on April 21, with India (69th) and Nepal (87th) placed in Pot 1. Bangladesh (112th) and Sri Lanka (162nd) were in Pot 2, while Bhutan (164th) and the Maldives (167th) completed Pot 3.

India enter the tournament as the most successful side in its history, having clinched five titles - in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2019. However, Bangladesh will arrive as the defending champions, having secured back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2024.

The Blue Tigresses will also take confidence from recent success at the youth level. Earlier this year, India's U17 side, competing in the U19 category, defeated Bangladesh 4-0 in the final of the SAFF U19 Women's Championship in Pokhara, underlining the growing depth in the country's women's football pipeline.

Last week, the Indian women's national team secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Malawi in the third-place play-off of the FIFA Series 2026 at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

With a competitive field and home advantage, India will look to reclaim the continental crown when the tournament kicks off in Goa later next month.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
So happy to see women's football getting more attention in India! The draw seems fair—Group B with Bangladesh and Maldives should be competitive but manageable. Hopefully the team can build on that 3-2 win against Malawi. Goa crowd will be electric! 🏆
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Vikram M
Bangladesh winning back-to-back titles is a wake-up call. We can't just rely on past glory (5 titles). The U19 win is promising, but the senior team needs to show consistency. Hosting in Goa is great—hope the federation promotes it well so fans turn up!
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Rohit P
Maldives and Bangladesh in same group? Should be straightforward for India. But football is unpredictable—remember how Bangladesh stunned us in 2022? Need full focus from the team. Also good to see Goa hosting women's football after so long! ⚡
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Sarah B
As someone who follows women's football globally, it's great to see India hosting this. The U19 team's 4-0 win over Bangladesh is encouraging. But the senior team needs to work on finishing—we saw in the Malawi game that we can be wasteful. Hope the coaching staff addresses this before the tournament!

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