Pakistan football team participating in the South Asian Football Federation U17 Championship. PHOTO: PFF
Pakistan had a repeat defeat at the South Asian Football Federation U17 Championship when they lost to Bangladesh 2-0 at the Colombo Racecourse Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Thursday.
Pakistan qualified for the final after finishing second in their Group B, while Bangladesh were the best in Group A.
The two played the first semifinal of the day.
Bangladesh got off to a flying start, with Nazmul Huda scoring the opening goal in the 3rd minute. Just a minute later, Mohammad Rahman doubled the lead with a strike in the 4th minute, giving Bangladesh early control of the match.
Despite their efforts to regain momentum, Pakistan were unable to turn the game around.
The second semi-final will be played between India and Nepal.
Pakistan's search for SAFF U17 crown continues
Pakistan were hoping to qualify in their first final since 2018.
The last time Pakistan reached the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) juniors event U15, which was later played in U16 and now U17, was 2018, when they played Bangladesh in the final, and lost.
Pakistan also played in the SAFF U17 Championship semifinals last year, losing to Bangladesh on penalty kicks, and the boys in green will be looking to avenge their defeat from the previous edition.
The team booked their place in the semifinals after finishing second in Group A of the event with six points, following India, who were first on the table with nine points.
The tournament featured seven teams, with India, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Bhutan in Group B, while Bangladesh, Nepal, and hosts Sri Lanka were playing in Group A.
India-Pakistan rivalry in bloom
In their last pool match, Pakistan were outplayed by India 3-2 in a thrilling encounter.
Pakistan Muhammad Abdullah and Hamza Yasir scored goals in the 43rd minute on a penalty and 70th minute, respectively, in reply to their opponents, who hit the back of the net thrice through Dallalmuon Gangte in the 31st minute, Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam in the 63rd, and lastly sealing the win in the 74th minute with a goal by Rehan Ahmed.
Muhammad Abdullah will also be looking to increase his goal tally as he is the leading scorer of the event so far with six goals.
Pakistan's impressive run against the Maldives
Earlier, Pakistan also defeated the Maldives 5-2 in their group match that cemented their place in the final.
The team carried on with their strong performance in the event, and Mansoor Ahmed emerged as the star of the match with a brilliant hat-trick.
He scored his goals in the 12th, 32nd, and 45th minutes and became the second Pakistani player in the tournament to score a hat-trick after Adbullah.
Meanwhile, Abdullah added two more for Pakistan, striking in first-half stoppage time and again in the 59th minute.
For the Maldives, Ailyan Ahmed scored in the 42nd minute while Muhammad Shayan pulled one back in the 70th minute.
Strong start of the campaign in Colombo
Strong start of the campaign in Colombo
Pakistan began their campaign in Colombo in style as well; they thrashed Bhutan 4-0 in their opening match.
In that fixture too, Adbullah scored a hat-trick with goals in the 15th, 25th, and 70th minutes of the game, whereas Hamza contributed with his goal in the 67th minute.
The team is trained and prepared by the seasoned coach Nasir Ismail. He is assisted by former Pakistan captain Muhammad Essa, along with Mohsanul Hussain and Muhammad Saghir. The goal-keeping coach is Khurram Shahzad.
Reception by the High Commissioner in Colombo
The Pakistan U17 football team officials were hosted by H.E. Major General (R) Faheem Ul Aziz, HI (M), High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka at the Embassy of Pakistan after their opening game on September 16.
During the reception, the High Commissioner appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) towards the revival of football in the country and commended the dedication and spirit of the young players.
He congratulated the team on their emphatic 4-0 victory against Bhutan.
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