MALE: Pakistan football team triumphed over Afghanistan 2-0 to clinch the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament final on Wednesday.
It marked the first time the Green Shirts have prevailed in a senior men’s international final after the 1991 Asian Games.
Moreover, it was Pakistan’s first standalone title since sharing the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament crown with India in 1952, a round-robin tournament.
The star of the night was Shayak Dost, whose sensational bicycle kick in the 23rd minute opened the scoring for Pakistan.
Despite Afghanistan’s desperate efforts to equalize, the first half ended 1-0 in Pakistan’s favor.
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In the second half, Afghanistan pushed for an equalizer but were repeatedly denied despite Pakistan making several substitutions. The scoreline remained 1-0 in Pakistan’s favour until the end of normal time.
It was forward Harun Hamid’s tactical awareness in the seven minutes of added time that sealed victory. Hamid doubled the lead with a brilliant dribble to seal a memorable victory.
Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan defeated the Maldives 3-0, ending a 35-year wait for victory against them and marking Pakistan’s first win in international football in two years.
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They also beat Afghanistan 2-0 while their opening encounter against Bangladesh ending in a draw.
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.
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