Pakistan lost the final of SAFF U-15 Football Championship as the Bangladesh team beat Pakistan 3-2 in a penalty shootout as, till the fulltime whistle, both teams had scored one goal.
Pakistan went behind in the match as Bangladesh took the lead through a looping header. The Pakistani side did not lose hope and was rewarded for their persistence as they won a penalty in the second half, which was converted by Mohibullah.
The game ended at 1-1 and the match was to be decided by a penalty shootout. By now, this was anyone’s game. The Bangladeshi team was much more decisive in the shootout.
Their goalkeeper, who saved two penalties in their semi-final match against India, once again rescued the team by saving three penalties. That eventually turned out to be the catalyst as Bangladesh won the final and secured the title for their country.
It is a big achievement for the country and the under-15 team that after being banned for almost a year and playing little to no international football since 2015, the boys still managed to reach the final of a major tournament while tackling all sorts of issues. Despite losing, the Pakistani side definitely showed signs of a revival of football in the country as the team performed extraordinarily throughout the tournament.