Pakistan beat Afghanistan to qualify for four-nation football tournament final

MALE: Pakistan national football team secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Afghanistan on Sunday in their third match of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament at the National Football Stadium, registering their second win of the competition and booking a place in the final.

The Green Shirts started the match with high intensity and were rewarded early when forward Umer Nawaz struck in the opening minutes to give Pakistan a 1-0 lead at half-time.

Both sides showed determination in search of goals, but Afghanistan struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the contest.

Pakistan, despite their early breakthrough, were unable to extend their advantage for much of the encounter.

However, the decisive moment arrived in stoppage time when Pakistan doubled their lead in the 92nd minute of seven added minutes, with forward Harun Hamid finding the back of the net to seal a deserved 2-0 victory at the final whistle.

Pakistan entered the fixture in strong form following a commanding 3-0 win over the Maldives at the same venue on Thursday — a result that marked their first victory since the 1991 South Asian Games. They had earlier opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Bangladesh.

The achievement marks Pakistan’s first appearance in a senior men’s international final since the 1991 South Asian Federation Games.

It is also the country’s first appearance in the final of a standalone international football tournament since the 1962 Merdeka Tournament, where Pakistan finished runners-up after a 2-1 defeat to Indonesia.

For the unversed, Pakistan will face either Bangladesh U23 or Afghanistan in the final on June 10.

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.