India 11-0 Maldives Highlights, SAFF Women's Championship: Aveka Leads Blue Tigresses' Roaring Start To Group B Campaign

Good evening, folks! We are building up to the start of India's campaign opener in SAFF Women's Championship 2026 against Maldives. Stick around for the pre-match info and live updates.

The match kicks off at 7:30pm IST. The India vs Maldives, SAFF Women's Championship 2026 Group B encounter will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website in India. It will not be telecast on any TV channel in the country.

The Blue Tigresses carry a dominant head-to-head record into the contest, having won seven of their eight meetings against Maldives while drawing the other. India have scored 68 goals in those encounters and conceded just once.

India women's head coach Crispin Chettri believes the competition has become far more challenging over the years and stressed the importance of beginning preparations for future continental goals ahead of the match.

He said at the pre-tournament press conference: “It is quite tricky for us because SAFF Championship is getting competitive day by day. Being hosts of the tournament, fans will certainly expect a bit from us.

"We are a mixed bag with experienced as well as young players. Also, the Indian Women's League has just ended. So players have recovered and are fit. The overall target is to qualify for the next Asian Cup so the preparations start from now."

This is how India line up for their Group B opener versus Maldives tonight:

India skipper Grace Dangmei, who accompanied Chettri to the pre-tournament press conference, said the team had learned valuable lessons from March's AFC Women’s Asian Cup and would look to apply them in the SAFF Women's Championship.

“It was a learning experience for us in Australia. We understood where we need to improve and hopefully we can implement those learnings in this tournament. We will try to go all the way,” she said. 

India get the match underway in Margao. The Blue Tigresses are kicking from right to left and Maldives the other way in the first half. The home team no doubt will try to pile early pressure on their relatively inexperienced opponents.

India almost take the lead in the fifth minute. A perfect pass from captain Grace Dangmei finds Pyari Xaxa inside the box, and the forward makes no mistake in slotting the ball in with ease. But the goal is disallowed, for Pyari is deemed off side.

No off-side flag this time! India have their opener in the 11th minute. Sangita Basfore comes up with a really precise ball for Priyangka Devi Naorem, who chests it in to put the hosts ahead.

Number two from Priyangka! Aveka Singh provides the assist now, a lovely through ball which her fellow midfielder meets expertly before threading shot past a defender into the goal. Maldives goalie Fathimath Sausan ought to have done better there, but they all count and Priyangka is already on a hat-trick.

India are quickly making this a rout, mercilessly pulling the trigger against a hapless Maldives side. Pyari Xaxa shoots from distance and the Maldives custodian makes a meal of it to let the Blue Tigresses score their third goal in the 28th minute. Aveka Singh then makes it 4-0 in the 34th, and more goals seem to be on the way.

There it is, a fifth goal from India! Captain Grace Dangmei joins the party to deservedly get on the scoresheet. This could turn out to be a really long evening for the visitors.

After four minutes of added time, the referee blows the whistle to signal the end of the first half. It has been a horror show from Maldives' defence and goalie so far, and India have capitalized big time. Will the Blue Tigresses continue in the same vein in the second half? Find out soon.

The players return from the lemon break and the match resumes. India now kicking from left to right and Maldives the other way. The Blue Tigresses have made two substitutions: out go Jasoda Munda and goal-scorer Pyari Xaxa, and in come Malavika and Karishma Shirvoikar.

India open their second half account via substitute Karishma. Sarita Yumnam floats in a beautiful cross into the box, and Karishma heads the ball powerfully into the back of the Maldives net.

Sangita Basfore with a screamer! The talented midfielder receives the ball outside the box and curls in a delightful shot to deservedly join the scoresheet. India now have six different goal-scorers, with Priyangka on a hat-trick.

The goals are flying thick and fast now. Aveka Singh finds her second goal in the 66th with a perfectly directed header, and Karishma too nets a brace by latching on to fellow substitute Malavika's pass.

Hat-trick for Aveka! The midfielder takes India's goal tally to double digits with her third goal of the evening. The match, or mismatch rather, ceased being about the scoreline long back. Crispin Chhetri is seeking greater accuracy from his players, and the Blue Tigresses have the perfect simulation scenario for that.

Aveka is simply unstoppable tonight! Like a torpedo, the 22-year-old stuns Maldives with a low diving header to add a fourth goal to her tally on the night. The midfielder has two assists too; no prizes for guessing who will be the Player of the Match.

The referee brings the match to an end after six minutes of added time in the second half. The ordeal ends for Maldives, as India pummel 11 goals past them in their Group B opener. It's an emphatic start from the Blue Tigresses, though coach Crispin Chhetri might not be entirely happy with the team's finishing.