Bangkok, Thailand: The 2026 SAFF Futsal Championship – Women’s event saw Pakistan stun Sri Lanka 3-2 via Azwa Chaudhry’s remarkable hat-trick. The former West Ham United women’s academy product showed a remarkable performance to give Pakistan women’s futsal team its first ever international win.
The Hua Mak Indoor Stadium saw both 20-minute periods giving intense back and forth as Pakistan and Sri Lanka testing their opposing goalkeepers. Pakistan got the lead when Azwa Chaudhry’s shot from distance got deflected past Sri Lanka goalkeeper Ashani Panikkiyalage in the 10th minute.
Sri Lanka responded just before the break when Tharmika Siwaneswaran shot past Pakistan goalkeeper Zeeyana Jivraj to make it 1-1.
Early in the second period, Azwa Chaudhry gave Pakistan another lead only for Sri Lanka’s Stephnie Dias to respond less than a minute later to make it 2-2. Both teams chased the winner as the clock counted down but Azwa completed her three goals just before the end. The Pakistan men’s futsal team was in the stands cheering the women’s side on.
The historic win came two days after Pakistan drew 1-1 with Bhutan in its first ever international women’s futsal fixture. The result gives Pakistan 4 points from 2 games in the women’s event. In the other fixtures, Bangladesh overcame India 3-1 to become firm favourites while Nepal thrashed Maldives 5-0.
Tomorrow, 16 January, the SAFF Futsal men’s event resumes as Pakistan hopes to end their international men’s futsal losing streak when they face Bhutan at 3:00pm PKT kickoff.
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