In an intense match held in Mauritius on Saturday, Pakistan faced a 3-1 defeat against Djibouti in the four-nation cup tournament.
Djibouti took an early lead as Dooualeh M. Elabeh scored a goal in the 10th minute. Despite several opportunities to equalize, Pakistan failed to find the back of the net.
In the 73rd minute, Gabriel Dadzie of Djibouti, ranked 193 in the FIFA rankings, extended their lead by scoring another goal, bringing the score to 2-0. Pakistan’s Hayat Mohammad Umar managed to pull one back in the 84th minute, providing a glimmer of hope with the scoreboard reading 2-1.
However, Samuel Akinbinu of Djibouti swiftly scored another goal just a minute later.With this victory over Pakistan, Djibouti secured the four-nation cup tournament title.
Kenya, ranked highest at 102, led the tournament, followed by Mauritius at 180. Djibouti stood at 193, and Pakistan held the lowest ranking at 195.
In earlier news, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) obtained a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, granting permission for the national men’s team to participate in the SAFF Championship in India.
The IPC issued a notification addressed to the Director of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Shoaib Khoso, confirming the clearance.
The Pakistan team is set to depart for Bengaluru, India, on June 18 from Mauritius, where they have already submitted their visa applications to the Indian embassy.
In the upcoming SAFF Cup, Pakistan has been grouped with India in Pool A, alongside Kuwait and Nepal. The tournament will take place from June 21 to July 4.