Pakistan beat Afghanistan 2-0 to lift Diamond Jubilee football title

MALE: Pakistan defeated Afghanistan 2-0 in the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament at the National Football Stadium on Wednesday, securing their first senior men’s international final victory since the 1991 South Asian Games.

According to the match report, Pakistan controlled possession early in the title decider and went ahead in the 24th minute. Forward Shayak Dost scored with a bicycle kick after midfielder Otis Khan’s miscued effort inside the penalty area looped into his path.

Afghanistan pushed for an equaliser after conceding, but Pakistan held their lead through the remainder of the first half. The same pattern continued after the break, with Afghanistan unable to find a goal despite Pakistan making several substitutions, and the score staying at 1-0 until the end of regulation time.

The victory gave Pakistan their first standalone title since 1952, when they shared the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament crown with India in a round-robin competition. It also marked their first triumph in a senior men’s international final since beating the Maldives 2-0 in the 1991 South Asian Games.

Pakistan squad

Pakistan’s squad for the tournament comprised goalkeepers Saqib Hanif, Yousuf Butt and Hassan Ali.

The defenders were Abdullah Iqbal, Mohammad Fazal, Abdullah Shah, Easah Suliman, Mohib Afridi, Mamoon Moosa, Ali Niazi and Haris Zeb.

The midfielders included Adil Nabi, Rahis Nabi, Alamgir Ghazi, Hayyan Khattak, Ali Agha and Otis Khan, while the forwards were Shayak Dost, Umer Nawaz, Ali Shah, Ali Khan, Samad Arshad and Harun Hamid.