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.
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.
Maldives’ Mohamed Shayan Shifau scored in the 71st minute to reduce the deficit, but Pakistan comfortably saw out the game.
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