SAFF U17 Championship
Pakistan’s U17 football team displayed a commanding performance, clinching a 5-1 victory over Sri Lanka in their final group stage match of the 2024 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U17 Championship, held in Bhutan. With this dominant win, Pakistan secured their place in the semi-finals of the tournament.
The match started with a quick pace, as Pakistan established control early on. In the 20th minute, Subhan Kareem opened the scoring, giving Pakistan an early 1-0 lead. This set the tone for the rest of the game, with Pakistan’s forwards relentlessly attacking the Sri Lankan defence.
Just 10 minutes later, Mohammad Talha extended the lead, netting a well-placed goal to make it 2-0. Subhan Kareem continued his impressive form by scoring his second goal in the 36th minute, further increasing Pakistan’s advantage to 3-0. By halftime, Pakistan had established a comfortable lead, while Sri Lanka struggled to find any rhythm.
As the second half began, Sri Lanka’s defense remained under pressure. Their misfortune continued when they conceded an own goal, pushing Pakistan’s lead to 4-0.
Abdul Ghani further compounded Sri Lanka’s woes by scoring in the 56th minute, bringing the scoreline to 5-0 in Pakistan’s favor.
Despite being on the back foot for most of the match, Sri Lanka managed to pull one goal back in the 76th minute. However, it was merely a consolation goal as Pakistan cruised to a decisive victory.
This victory followed Pakistan’s earlier group matches, where they had already shown strong performances. In their second game, Pakistan played an exhilarating 3-3 draw against Bhutan. The game saw both teams displaying impressive attacking skills, with the fans witnessing a back-and-forth contest.
Pakistan’s Khabib Khan kicked off the action by scoring the first goal in the 38th minute, putting Pakistan in the lead. Subhan Kareem followed with a second goal in the 46th minute, doubling Pakistan’s advantage to 2-0. However, Bhutan fought back valiantly, leveling the score in an exciting comeback.
Despite Bhutan’s resilience, Pakistan regained control in the 67th minute when Abdul Samad netted a third goal for his team. However, Bhutan managed to equalize once again, ensuring the match ended in a 3-3 draw, leaving both sides with shared points.
Prior to the draw against Bhutan, Pakistan had secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Nepal in their opening match of the tournament. This crucial win, coupled with their impressive performance against Sri Lanka, ensured Pakistan’s qualification for the semi-finals of the SAFF U17 Championship.
With momentum on their side and several standout performances, including Subhan Kareem’s consistent goal-scoring and Abdul Ghani’s contributions, Pakistan’s U17 team heads into the knockout stages with confidence.
The Men in Green are now focused on continuing their strong run and aiming for success in the semi-finals, as they set their sights on lifting the SAFF U17 Championship trophy.
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