Islamabad (Sports News): Pakistan men’s national football team began their Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament campaign in Maldives with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Bangladesh on Sunday.
In a closely contested encounter at the National Football Stadium in Malé, both sides created opportunities but were ultimately unable to find a breakthrough, settling for a point apiece.
Pakistan handed international debuts to Adil Nabi and Ali Akbar Khan, while defender Easah Suliman returned to the starting lineup after a two-year absence due to injury. However, the visitors suffered an early setback when midfielder Rahis Nabi was forced off injured after just 15 minutes, with Hayyaan Khattak coming on as his replacement.
Bangladesh, fielding their Olympic squad as part of preparations to provide their young players with senior international experience, adopted a counter-attacking approach throughout the contest. Their best opportunity of the first half arrived in the 26th minute, but Pakistan goalkeeper Yousuf Butt produced an excellent save to keep the scores level.
The match remained goalless at the interval, with Pakistan looking the more likely side to increase the tempo after the break.
The introduction of Ali Haider Shah, Mohibullah Afridi and Alamgir Ghazi in the second half injected fresh energy into the Pakistani attack. Ghazi nearly made an immediate impact in the 57th minute when his powerful long-range effort struck the post.
Momentum swung further in Pakistan’s favour five minutes later when Bangladesh captain SM Monjurur Rahman was sent off for elbowing Yousuf Butt during a set-piece situation. Pakistan defender Syed Abdullah Shah was also cautioned following the incident.
With a numerical advantage, Pakistan pushed forward in search of a winner. Ali Haider Shah came closest in the 66th minute, meeting an Ali Khan Niazi cross with a well-struck volley that was brilliantly saved by Bangladesh goalkeeper Md Mehedi Hassan Srabon.
Despite sustained pressure from the Shaheens, Bangladesh defended resolutely to preserve the deadlock. Srabon again proved decisive deep into stoppage time, denying substitute Harun Hamid in the 95th minute to ensure his side escaped with a share of the points.
After an entertaining and fiercely contested encounter between the South Asian rivals, the final whistle confirmed a goalless draw.
Pakistan will next face tournament hosts Maldives on June 4 at 4:00pm PKT before concluding their group-stage campaign against Afghanistan on June 7. The top two teams at the end of the group stage will advance to the tournament final on June 10.
