AFC U23 qualifiers: Pakistan secure consolatory win over Kyrgyzstan

Greenshirts beat Kyrgyzstan 3-1 to secure third place in Group B

KARACHI: Pakistan registered a consolatory win at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship qualifiers as they beat Kyrgyzstan 3-1 in Al-Ain on Wednesday.

Pakistan had already been knocked out of the tournament losing to eventual Group B toppers Jordan and Kuwait.

Their final match in the tournament began similarly as the Greenshirts conceded the first goal of the match in just the 25th minute, as Avazbek Otkeev scored. It meant that the Pakistan side had conceded eight goals in just three games.

However, captain Saddam Hussain scored in the 40th minute to level the scores at 1-1 as both sides went level into the break.

Pakistan came out in the second half trying to keep up their momentum and the pressure told on Kyrgyz players with Manas Karipov scoring an own goal in the 55th minute. Youngster Mansor Khan then sealed the win for Pakistan by scoring in the 88th minute.

The win meant that Pakistan finish third in their group, having played three matches and lost two.

Jordan and Kuwait wrapped up the top two slots of Group B to book their place in the main event featuring 16 teams at the championship next year.

Pakistan were originally due to host  the event, which was scheduled to be held in in Lahore on March 23, however, the law-and-order situation in the city after a bomb blast at a church forced the AFC to reschedule the matches to neutral venues.