THIMPHU: Pakistan’s U17 football team beat Sri Lanka, 5-1 in their final group match to secure a place in the semi-finals of the 2024 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U17 Championship in Bhutan.
Subhan Kareem scored the first goal for Pakistan in the 20th minute. Ten minutes later, Mohammad Talha scored another goal making it 2-0. Subhan then struck again in the 36th minute and put Pakistan ahead 3-0 at halftime.
When the second half started, Sri Lanka’s defence faltered, leading to an own goal that pushed Pakistan’s lead to 4-0. Abdul Ghani added to the scoreline in the 56th minute, taking Pakistan’s lead to 5-0.
Sri Lanka managed to score their only goal in the 76th minute, but it was too late to challenge Pakistan’s energetic performance.
In the previous match, Pakistan ended in a 3-3 draw against Bhutan. Both teams showcased impressive skills throughout the match. Earlier, Pakistan secured a 1-0 victory over Nepal in their first match.
