Colombo, September 22, 2025: Pakistan fell short against arch-rivals India in a nail-biting encounter at the SAFF U17 Championship 2025, losing 3-2 in their final Group B match at the Racecourse Ground on Monday.
The highly anticipated clash remained goalless for the first half-hour before Dallalmuon Gangte broke the deadlock in the 31st minute to put India ahead. Pakistan struck back just before halftime, with Muhammad Abdullah calmly converting a penalty to level the contest 1-1.
The second half saw the two sides trade blows in quick succession. Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam restored India’s advantage in the 64th minute, but Hamza Yasir equalised seven minutes later to keep Pakistan in the game.
The deciding moment came in the 74th minute when Indian substitute Rahan Ahmed, continuing his fine scoring form, netted what proved to be the match-winner. Despite late efforts from Pakistan, the Blue Colts held firm to secure the victory.
With the win, India topped Group B with nine points, while Pakistan finished second on six. Both teams, however, had already secured their places in the semi-finals prior to the match.
The result marked Pakistan’s first defeat in the tournament after impressive back-to-back wins. The Green Shirts began their campaign with a 4-0 victory over Bhutan, powered by a hat-trick from Muhammad Abdullah, before thrashing the Maldives 5-2, with Mansoor Ahmad bagging a treble.
Pakistan will now look to regroup ahead of their semi-final clash, where a win could set up another high-stakes showdown with their traditional rivals.
