Pakistan Creates History, Wins Diamond Jubilee Football Tournament in Maldives
MALE — Pakistan ended a 74-year wait for a standalone tournament title on Wednesday as the Shaheens defeated Afghanistan 2-0 in the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in Male.
Shayek Dost’s spectacular overhead kick in the 24th minute and Harun Hamid’s stoppage-time solo strike sealed the victory, marking the first time Pakistan has won the final of an independent football tournament in its history.
In front of a crowd chanting “Pakistan, Pakistan” and waving the national flag, Shayek produced a moment of brilliance. After Afghanistan failed to clear a cross from the right, Otis Khan’s miscued shot fell to Shayek, who acrobatically found the back of the net.
Afghanistan pushed for an equalizer and struck the crossbar in first-half stoppage time, but Pakistan’s defense, marshaled by goalkeeper Saqib Hanif, held firm.
Substitute Harun Hamid put the result beyond doubt deep into added time, beating a defender with quick footwork before slotting the ball in off the post.
The win completed an unbeaten run to the title and was Pakistan’s third consecutive victory in the tournament, having beaten Afghanistan 2-0 in the round-robin stage earlier.
End of a 74-Year Drought
The triumph is Pakistan’s first at a standalone tournament since 1952, when the Shaheens shared the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament trophy with India on a league basis. It is also the first time the team has reached a tournament final since the 1962 Merdeka Cup.
Pakistan’s only other international football honors remain four gold medals at the South Asian Games.
PFF President Hails “New Beginning”
Pakistan Football Federation President Syed Mohsen Gilani called the victory the high point of his tenure and a turning point for the sport in the country.
“When I took over as President of the PFF, I had vowed we would do things that had never been done before,” Gilani said. “From not having an elected federation for so many years to winning our first final at a stand-alone football tournament, we have come a long way in the space of one year.”
“This is the day that Pakistan football has announced itself to the world,” he added. “This triumph will hopefully be the starting point. This is the highest point of my tenure so far and it will herald a new beginning as we pledge to rewrite the history of the sport in Pakistan.”
Under head coach Nolberto Solano, Pakistan’s performance signals renewed ambition for a team long starved of success on the international stage.
