COLOMBO: Pakistan notched their second straight win at the SAFF U-17 Championship on Friday, defeating Maldives 5-2 in their group-stage clash at the Racecourse Ground in Colombo.
Mansoor Ahmad was the star of the day for Pakistan, completing a first-half hat trick to put Pakistan firmly in control. He opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a composed finish before doubling the lead in the 32nd. Just before halftime, Ahmad converted a penalty in the 45th minute to seal his treble.
Maldives briefly threatened a comeback when Ali Ilaan struck in the 42nd minute, but Muhammad Abdullah restored Pakistan’s cushion with two goals — first from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time and again in the 61st minute after a well-worked move.
Maldives’ Mohamed Shayan Shifau scored in the 71st minute to reduce the deficit, but Pakistan comfortably saw out the game.
The 5-2 result follows Pakistan’s opening win against Bhutan earlier in the tournament, strengthening their chances of reaching the semifinals. With six points from two games, Pakistan sit in a strong position in their group and will next face archrival India in their final group match on Monday.
