Djibouti successfully clinched the four-nation football tournament by thrashing Pakistan 3-1 in a match that resulted in Pakistan failing to get a single win in the tournament. Djibouti took the early lead and maintained the edge over Pakistan, with Gabriel Dadzie scoring another goal in the 73rd minute to further boost their chances of winning the game. Despite Hayat Mohammad Umar’s goal in the 84th minute, Djibouti shut down the game by scoring another goal just a minute after.
Pakistan was not the highest-ranking team in the tournament, rather considered the lowest-ranked side at 195, with the first being Kenya, and Mauritius ranking in the middle. Pakistan couldn’t get to any advantage throughout the tournament, resulting in their defeat.
However, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) received the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, which allowed them to participate in the Championship in India. The IPC issued the notification addressed to the Director of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Shoaib Khoso, granting them permission to participate in the event from June 21 to July 4. Pakistan’s departure for the event will be on June 18 from Mauritius, and have already applied for visas from the Indian embassy.
Pakistan is bracketed with India in Pool A, carrying along Kuwait and Nepal, participating in the SAFF Cup. Despite their recent loss in the tournament, Pakistan is hopeful to come out with a good performance at the Championship and make their country proud.
