Pakistan defeated the Maldives 5-2 in their group-stage match at the Racecourse Ground in Colombo on Friday to record their second consecutive victory at the SAFF U-17 Championship.
Pakistan’s top player of the day, Mansoor Ahmad, solidified Pakistan’s dominance with a first-half hat-trick. With a calm finish in the 12th minute, he started the scoring, and in the 32nd, he doubled the lead. Ahmad completed his treble with a penalty kick in the 45th minute, just before halftime.
Ali Ilaan’s goal in the 42nd minute gave the Maldives a fleeting chance to rally, but Muhammad Abdullah’s two goals—one from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time and another in the 61st minute following a clever move—restored Pakistan’s lead.
