Pakistan crush Maldives in four-nation football tournament to end 35-year jinx

MALE: The Pakistan men's football team on Thursday registered a historic 3-0 victory over Maldives in the third match of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament here at the National Football Stadium.

The Green Shirts' triumph marked their first over Maldives since their 2-0 victory in the final of the 1991 South Asian Games, while it was their first win in international football since they edged past Cambodia 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in October 2023.

The recently-concluded fixture got off to a contrasting start as the scoreboard remained intact at 0-0 at halftime.

Forward Umer Nawaz opened the scoring for Pakistan in the 54th minute, while fellow striker Abdul Samad Arshad doubled their advantage 30 minutes later.

The Green Shirts attained complete control in the 87th minute as Harun Hamid scored a sensational goal to bolster their lead to 3-0, which remained intact until the final whistle.

Pakistan's resounding victory over Maldives marked an astounding turnaround for the side as they played out a frustrating goalless draw against Bangladesh, who were reduced to 10 players after captain Monjurur Rahman was shown the red card, in their campaign opener at the same venue on Monday.

Furthermore, the historic victory boosted Pakistan's chances to qualify for the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament as it lifted them to the top position with four points after two matches and a goal difference of three.

The Green Shirts will face Afghanistan in their remaining league-stage fixture at the same venue on Sunday.

Pakistan squad:

Goalkeepers: Saqib Hanif, Yousuf Butt and Hassan Ali.

Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Mohammad Fazal, Abdullah Shah, Easah Suliman, Mohib Afridi, Mamoon Moosa, Ali Niazi and Haris Zeb.

Midfielders: Adil Nabi, Rahis Nabi, Alamgir Ghazi, Hayyan Khattak, Ali Agha and Otis Khan.

Forwards: Shayak Dost, Umer Nawaz, Ali Shah, Ali Khan, Samad Arshad and Harun Hamid.