Lahore, 23 March: One-down India struck thrice late in second half to beat Pakistan 3-1 in the fourth AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers (Group-B) match on Wednesday at MBJP Stadium, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Pakistan kept 1-0 lead against former Champion India until 67th minute and conceded three goals in the last 23 minutes.
Pakistan and India are all time rivals, either it is sports or it is social economic platform they stand face to face. Sports is the field where public love to watch them playing against each other, mostly India and Pakistan meet in cricket, football and hockey matches and make game more than just a game.
India and Pakistan have enjoyed a huge rivalry post-independence in every sport, both the nations have participated in since, be it Hockey,Football, Cricket, Kabaddi. Petaling Jaya match had already seen much of a surprising media attention, One thing is for sure, no matter which sport the two nations participate in, no matter which country the match takes place, any match between the arch rivals has attracted huge crowds from both the countries and the MBPJ Stadium, Petaling Jaya was packed more than usual, as fans are expected to show up and cheer their national football heroes.
India dominating the early proceedings and in the fifth minute, nice exchange of passes between Jagpreet Singh and Steven Dias saw Sunil Chhettri gets past his marker but his attempt deflected for corner. Thailand-based Zesh Rehman rescued Pakistan when he denied Jeje a clear-cut 10th minute opportunity.
Pakistan players trying to slow down the match and they have enjoyed a fair share of possession with both Rizwan Asif and Faisal Iqbal both were looking lively for Pakistan.
WAPDA’s defender Manzoor Ahmed returned back. He was not allowed by AFC to appear in Monday’s clash against Turkmenistan. According to Match Commissioner Manirul Islam (Bangladesh), he was suspended following a Red Card against Uzbekistan in the 36th Asian U19 Champion at Takhti Stadium, Iran on 10 December 2009.It was first half action during which Yemeni Referee Saleh Al-Yarimi had shown Manzoor the Yellow Card in the 30th minute, followed by Red Card six minutes later.
Back in Malaysia, the 20th minute saw Rahim Nabi played a superb ball from the left wing towards the centre, but neither Sunil nor Jeje could anticipate the ball and it goes out for a goal-kick.Pakistan produced chance in the 25th minute. Lovely exchange of passes between Muhammed Adil and Arif Hussain took a return pass from Muhammad Adil , but his drive well outside the box was too easy for Indian gloveman Subrata who collects with calmness. India enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in first 30 minutes and created a couple of good chances, but Pakistan defense stood firm and took the lead in the 32nd minute.A defensive blunder by Anwar gifted the goal as WAPDA’s Arif Mehmood gave no chance to Subrata. Pakistan led 1-0 at interval.
India went all out in quest of equalizer and wasted two corners in the 50th minute but their repeated attacks and substitution earned them the leveler in the 67th minute with young Mizoram-born Jeje Lalpekhula ( Indian Arrows), accelerated onto Sunil’s pass, beat Amir Gul all ends up. It was second goal for Jeje in as many event’s matches
India pressing hard to take the lead and in the 85th minute, Nabi and Sunil who found Jeje with a clever back-heal. Jeje came close with a left footer, but the Gul was alert under Pakistan’s bar. Steven Dias stunned Pakistan in the 90th minute to make it 2-1 and it was left to Jeje to add another in the 4th minute of injury time.
Two teams were
Pakistan
Goalkeepers: Amir Gul (NBP), Muhammad Omar (KESC)
Defenders: Manzoor Ahmed (WAPDA), Alamgir Khan (Police), Atif Bashir Qureshi (Barry Town, Wales), Samar Ishaq (KRL) CAP, Zeeshan Rehman (Muangthong United FC, Thailand),
Midfielders: Faisal Iqbal (NBP), Syed Arif Hussain (WAPDA), Muhammad Adil (KRL), Mahmood Khan (KRL), Kashif Mumtaz Siddiqui (Fresno Fuego, USA), Abdul Aziz (NBP) VC, Nasr Ullah Khan (PIA), Adnan Farooq Ahmed (Aboomoslem FC, Iran),
Strikers : Jadeed Khan Pathan (WAPDA), Rizwan Asif (KRL), Kalim Ullah (KRL), Imran Niazi (WAPDA), Arif Mehmood (WAPDA), Muhammad Qasim (KRL).
Coach : Tariq Lutfi
India
Goalkeepers: Subrata Paul, Gurpreet Singh, Jagroop Singh.
Defenders: Denzil Franco, Gourmangi Singh , Anwar , Mohan Raj, Nirmal Chhetri , Syed Rahim Nabi, Govin Singh, N.S.Manju, Raju Gaikwad.
Midfielders: Steven Dias, Joaquim Abranches, Baldip Singh, Jagpreet Singh, Rakesh Masih, Jewel Raja, Shilton D’Silva.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri (Captain), Sushil Singh, CS Sabeeth, Jeje Lalpekhulua.
Coach : Robert Douglas Houghton
India, unfortunately, is stronger than Pakistan, but loose after wining 1×0, in the last 20 minutes…
I dont understand one thing: the english-pakistani soccer players dont really improve the quality of the team?
The pakistani, please, can explain that?
Best Reguards, Im from Brazil and like very much Pakistani soccer and national team!
The possible reason could be poor defending and lacking ability to sustain lead. Also squad selection not up to the standard. Our football team keeps on repeating same mistakes again and again. Also there is lack of co-ordination between foriegn pakistani and local pakistani players. In order to produce results players have to gel as a strong united unit.
Agree…. totally Agree with Ali Vaqar.
100% agree.
The problem is simply poor finishing and poor levels of concentration. 2-3 token foreigners cannot bring success to a team when the rest of the squad is poorly trained in terms of tactics and keeping possession. Goes to show how ineffective our department-centric local coaches are!
The PFF does not play our highest scorer, Muhammad Essa who could really add more Quality in the team. Why aren’t Kashif Siddiqui and Adnan Ahmed starting in Midfield, why isnt Muhammad Qasim getting a chance? 80% of the problem is that we do not have a foreign coach. Get a foreign coach, and keep him for 2-3 years in order to prove himself.
Muhammad Essa retired from international football just after 2009 SAFF Cup and refuses to come back unless his ridiculous demands are met. He is finished and we must move on.
Muhammad Qasim has actually played much of the two games but the way Kashif Siddiqi has been benched and the wasteful Kaleemullah is played each time to no use is just mind boggling!
mai to kab se bakwas ker rha huon k Wajahat Ali is a UK based pakistani qualified EPL coach., why dont they hire his services as a coach for th national team. I am from England and i have seen Wajahat Ali win a title for Asian team in East Midlands football leagues as a coach …i reguarly read these posts..Tarik lutfi is a useless coach ,, he cannot match the qualities and the standards of international football. he is just there to get a salary package… get rid of him please PFF….
I dont think Tariq Lutfi earns that much apart from a basic wage and TA/DA. As he is a PIA employee, he gets paid from PIA pockets rather than PFF.
Wajahat Ali sounds like he needs a bit more experience in at least the Football League level before he can have the grit and character to take over a national team!
refereing to your response on Wajahat Ali. he is the first ever pakistani to play and train with English premiership teams like leicester united, Sheffield United, Notts County, in the 90’s…. .. He also came to Pakistan to play for the national team and was selected for the world cup qualifies back in 1993…but due to the same problem which isstill being faced by our new foreign based players , he left the team and went back to England …. He is by all means a better choice than Tarik Lutfi… Rest is all up to the authorities as to how to misuse their positions in the PFF…Pakistani team will go nowhere with this kind of football.. ALLAH bless our Football team…
You are not wrong.
Whenever the ‘locals’ are asked about such people, they say ‘Oh they dont know our football. Our football is different, and they wont know how to succeed’.
My response is “Your football’ is a very poor, disorganised, department-centric, rabble of stagnation and failure. It is not they who need to change their thinking, but you who need to change your thinking. The world will not lower its standards to yours, you should be the ones learning from the world and raising your own standard by what is needed and what should be done with respect and assistance of the world’
tarik lufti is a useless coach should hire him as womens coach. hockey has made the malaysian pakistanis proud but not football. PFF should sack upon his return. hire a british coach and players only fronm pakistan . foreign players did bring any result.
the ‘players only from Pakistan policy’ would achieve even worse results. local players have severe lack of technical and tactical awareness due to substandard domestic football structure and nepotism across the government department football teams.
Foreign players are poorly used and treated with contempt when local coaches and assistants are in charge despite knowing they have better tactical and technical awareness and can actually do a better job than most. Local coaches often bring their favourite players who may not even be the best players in the already poorly organised Pakistan Premier League! That ruins the balance of the team. The best Pakistani players in these AFC Challenge Cup matches were all foreigners: Zesh Rehman, Adnan Ahmed, Atif Bashir. While Kashif Siddiqi was not even used which is a crying shame!
A long-term foreign coaching team (with assistants and physio) is needed for at least 2-3 years of continuous football to find right mix.
Agreed with your point. Any how PFF fails to take proper steps to improve football. What can we expect from our football federation. They themselves are croupt so it ruins it all. We need proper business men to run our football federation who can invest money and have active interest in football plus never compromise on ethics.