Pakistan, India to lock horns in SAFF U19 Championship final

Pakistan will take on arch-rivals India in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U19 Championship final on September 30.

Both sides secured their spot in the final after winning their respective semi-final clashed earlier in the day.

The Green Shirts secured their final spot after their 6-5 win over Bhutan courtesy of goalkeeper Sahil Gul's remarkable save during the penalty shootouts. India on the other hand, Nepal in penalty shootouts after the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

The final is scheduled to take place on September 30 at the Dashrath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Now, all eyes are on the grand showdown between India U19 and arch-rivals Pakistan U19 in the SAFF Championship. Football enthusiasts and fans of both teams eagerly anticipate what promises to be a captivating clash between two arch-rivals vying for championship glory.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan, after a thrilling encounter against Maldives that ended in a 1-1 draw, secured their place in the event’s semi-final on Saturday.

In their match against the Maldives, the Men in Green had started on a high note but they struggled considerably in front of goal. The Green Shirts failed to convert their chances in the first half of the game.

Capitalising on the opponent's errors and mistakes, Maldives took a decisive lead in the 39th minute of the match courtesy of a brilliant outside-of-the-boot finish.

In their first match, Pakistan shattered a 12-year-long victory drought by bagging a win in an international fixture as they beat Nepal 1-0.

India are the defending champions, who won their second title in 2022 by defeating Bangladesh in the final.

Pakistan squad

Goalkeepers: Sahil Gul, Mohsin Khan and Muhammad Abdullah

Defenders: Muhammad Sadam, Muhammad Adeel, Asad Nasir, Ans Amin, Khurshid Alam, Muhammad Raheel, Shayan Ali, Kamil Ahmad Khan, Abid Ali, Hannan Naveed and Najeeb Ullah

Midfielders: Ali Zafar, Muhammad Azan and Awais Khan

Forwards: Shahjahan, Muhammad Hassan, Faisal Ahmad, Abdul Wahab, Muhammad Haroon Zafar and Muhammad Adeel Younas

Team Officials: Shadab Ifthikhar (Head Coach), Mohsan Ul Hussnain (Assistant Coach), Khurram Shahzad (Goal Keeper Coach), Aamna (Media), Muhammad Abdullah and Muhammad Samama (Physio) and Zohair Gondal (Team Manager).