India women’s futsal team beats Pakistan in SAFF comeback
India staged a stunning comeback to beat Pakistan 5-3 in the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship in Thailand. Trailing 3-1, the Futsal Tigresses struck four goals in the final 12 minutes to go top of the table with nine points
Hyderabad: The Indian women’s futsal team staged a sensational comeback to defeat Pakistan 5-3 in the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship 2026 at the Nonthaburi Stadium in Thailand on Monday.
Pakistan had taken the lead twice in the game and were 3-1 up at one stage before India, coached by Joshuah Vaz, struck four goals in the final 12 minutes to seal the win and go top of the table after matchday four. The Futsal Tigresses are on nine points from four games, followed by Bangladesh, who have seven points from three. Pakistan also have seven points but trail on goal difference.
India started with urgency, peppering shot after shot in the opening minutes. But it was Kayanat Bokhari who opened the scoring with Pakistan’s first shot on target in the fourth minute. The captain drilled a first-time shot into the top corner from 10 metres out.
Going a goal behind created even more urgency among the Futsal Tigresses. Mithila Ramani, Pooja Gupta and Arya More shot from distance but failed to test Zeeyana Jivraj in the Pakistan goal.
The pressure finally paid off in the 14th minute when Arya scored the equaliser and her second goal of the campaign. Her initial effort from Diti Kanungo’s corner went off target, but Ritika Singh was lurking at the far post and sent it back to Arya, who placed it perfectly into the bottom corner with a clean left-footed shot.
India continued to bombard shots from long range but could not breach Jivraj’s goal again in the first period. Achom Degio’s shot went straight into the goalkeeper’s hands, while Arya’s sailed over.
Pakistan retook the lead in the 26th minute when Chaudhry pounced on a loose ball and shot on the turn into an empty net. India goalkeeper Tanvi Mavani had come out but was unsuccessful in dealing with Bokhari’s cross.
Fatemeh Sharif’s side stunned India again when they extended the lead in the next minute. Bokhari saw her shot saved by Tanvi, but an unmarked Anmol Hira slotted in the rebound.
India went for the power play, as Diti replaced Tanvi. The numerical advantage worked in their favour as Diti assisted India’s second goal. She found Ritika on the left, and the latter struck it in first time from a narrow angle to make it 2-3.
In no time, the scores were level again. Ritika robbed Bokhari of the ball in the final third and shot on target. Jivraj saved, but Khushbu charged on the rebound and thrashed it in to equalise.
India dominated the remainder of the contest, but Pakistan resisted with Jivraj making more saves. The breakthrough came with just over three minutes left as Arya drove a low shot from distance, and Diti, stationed beside the post, cleverly deflected it past Jivraj to make it 4-3.
Diti wrapped up the scoring in the final seconds. Bokhari lost the ball in the Pakistan half once more, this time to Khushbu, who laid it for Diti to slot into the empty goal and net her sixth of the campaign. She is now level with Khushbu as the tournament’s top scorer.
