June 17, 2023
Djibouti, ranked 194th, on Saturday inflicted a humiliating 3-1 defeat on Pakistan football team to win the four-nation tournament.
Djibouti took an early lead in the game with Dooualeh M. Elabeh netting the ball in the 10th minute. Despite equaliser chances, Pakistan failed to score a goal.
In the 73rd minute, Gabriel Dadzie of Djibouti, who are ranked 193 in the FIFA rankings, scored another goal to make the lead 2-0.
Pakistan's Hayat Mohammad Umar pulled one back in the 84th minute to give hope to the men in green with the scoreboard reading 2-1 but Samuel Akinbinu scored one more for Djibouti just after a minute later.
Kenya were the highest-ranked side in the tournament with a 102 ranking. They were followed by Mauritius at 180 ranking. Djibouti stands at 193 and Pakistan are the lowest-ranked side at 195.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan could not win even a single match in the tournament.
Earlier, The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) received No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination ahead of the national men’s team’s participation in the SAFF Championship in India.
The IPC today issued the notification, which was addressed to Director of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Shoaib Khoso.
The Pakistan team will depart for the event, which will be held in Bengaluru, India, from June 21 to July 4, on June 18 from Mauritius.
Pakistan have already submitted visa applications to the Indian embassy in Mauritius.
In the SAFF Cup, Pakistan have been bracketed with India in Pool A which also carries Kuwait and Nepal.