COLOMBO: Pakistan continued their winning run in the SAFF Under-17 Football Championship, defeating the Maldives 5-2 in their second group match on Friday to seal a place in the semi-finals.

Playing at Colombo’s Racecourse Ground, Pakistan displayed dominant form as forward Mansoor Ahmed scored a remarkable hat-trick.

He netted twice in the 12th and 32nd minutes before completing his treble with a penalty in the 45th minute.
This victory marks Pakistan’s second consecutive win in the tournament, confirming their progression to the knockout stage.

Although the Maldives briefly pulled one back through Ali Eylaan in the 42nd minute, Pakistan responded swiftly. Muhammad Abdullah converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time and later added his second goal in the 61st minute to extend the lead.

The Maldives’ Muhammad Shayyan Shameem added a consolation goal in the 71st minute, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.

“The boys played with purpose and composure. We’re proud of how they’ve performed so far, but our eyes are on the title,” said a team official from the Pakistan Football Federation following the match.

With this win, Pakistan now sits at the top of the group with six points from two matches, and is considered a strong contender for the championship title.

The team will face their final group-stage challenge on Monday, when they take on arch-rivals India in a highly anticipated clash.