KARACHI: Pakistan men’s football team on Thursday ended a 961-day wait for an international football victory with a convincing 3-0 victory over hosts Maldives in the Diamond Jubilee Four-Nation Football Tournament.
After opening the tournament with a goalless draw against Bangladesh, Pakistan started the match under pressure to secure a positive result and thus keep alive their hopes of reaching the final. The breakthrough finally came in the second half, after both teams failed to score before the break.
Young Umar Nawaz put Pakistan ahead in the 54th minute, scoring his first international goal in only his second appearance for the national team. The match also marked his first start for Pakistan.
Nawaz’s journey to the national team was shaped by personal tragedies. His brother, Haris Nawaz, was among the martyrs of the 2014 attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, while another brother, Ahmed Nawaz, was seriously injured. The family later moved to the United Kingdom in 2015, where Umar began his football journey before eventually earning a place in Pakistan’s national setup.
Pakistan doubled its lead in the 84th minute when Abdul Samad Arshad found the net. Just three minutes later, Harun Hamid scored a third goal to seal the victory for the visitors.
The result marked Pakistan’s first international win over the Maldives since 1991 and ended the team’s long winless streak. Pakistan’s previous victory came against Cambodia in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on October 17, 2023.
The win boosted Pakistan’s chances of reaching the tournament final. The team concludes its league match against Afghanistan on June 7. If Pakistan remains among the top two teams in the standings, they will advance to the final scheduled for June 10.
Pakistan now has four points from two matches after drawing against Bangladesh and beating Maldives, putting them firmly in contention for a place in the championship match.
