Pakistan U16 Football Team made history here today(Monday) by going through to the final of the Inaugural SAFF U16 Championship. Pakistan’s two best players on the night Mansoor Khan and Sher Ali scored a goal each near the Full-Time whistle to secure a 2-0 victory for the young guns.
The overnight rain had left a soggy pitch in Kathmandu to play the semi-final on. In the first half, Pakistan came close to scoring at the half hour mark with Mansoor Khan and Muhammad Bilal playing a neat one two at the edge of the Bangladeshi box with the former’s powerful shot going agonizingly close. Bangladesh tried some counter-attacking football but the defence line brilliantly led by Muneer never let them through on goal. Just before the break a Mansoor Khan cross almost found Muhammad Zeeshan whose slide in on goal only missed the ball and glory by a fraction of a second. The game was generally well contested but remained goalless in the first half.
After the break, the game opened up as both sides went for the winning goal. The Pakistani players, donning fresh kits having replaced the ones wet in the first half, immediately had some chances to score with last ditch defending denying them goals. When Mansoor Khan’s beautiful free-kick hit the top of the cross bar to go out of play, extra time looked inevitable. But just before the 90 minute mark, Pakistan’s best player on the night Mansoor Khan struck a 25 yard shot over the Bangladeshi keeper to give Pakistan the lead. Just as the Bangladeshi boys started trying for a desperate last minute push to equalize, Coach Sajjad’ young guns put the nail in the coffin and made it 2-0. Sher Ali dribbled past two defenders to score from a tight angle and send Pakistan into the SAFF U16 Championship Final.
Pakistan U16 team will face the winner of today’s other Semi-Final between Nepal and India in the final. The Sajjad Mehmood and Hassan Baloch coached U16 team has won all its games and has yet to concede a single goal in the tournament so far. Thus there is a reason for optimism as the U16 team becomes the source of much needed joy for the Pakistani football fans.
Picture courtesy GoalNepal.com
great work
Be ready to be thrashed by India in the final as i always said
Good Job my up coming future starts ! keep your moral high and bring the trophy for our country.
Good Job coaches are best !
Love you all
Zahid Taj
Pakistan Youth Coach
MashaAllah! What a great job by the youngsters and the coaches.
Great match in the final. I watched part of the Nepal-India match on GoalNepal, and India did not impress me in the ball. They were constantly playing aimless long balls. But maybe that was because the Nepali players are shorter and India wanted to take advantage of that. I think they will play a more technical and physical game against Pakistan. But InshaAllah our boys will be more than a match for them.
We need to start finding foreign clubs for some of these youngsters from right now, especially in Middle East and Turkey.
Great success and example for our senior team. Insha Allah Pakistan win the title after consecutive defeating India and will give valuable gift for nation on the occasion of Jushne Azadi. Every Pakistani anxiously waiting 10th August (Final)
Well Done
Pakistani players are 18/19 years old….
get a life cuz they ALL got MRI’s :)
It seems like that because Pakistanis are more manly and more mature than Indians.
lolz…. dude…. real men are big & manly even when they are 16 yrs old… in ur case check your Sardar kids which are 116 yrs old…. they’ll be the same as these Pakistanis…
i meant 16 yrs old….