After 961 long days of frustration, near misses and painful defeats, Pakistan finally had a victory to celebrate.
The Shaheens produced one of their most complete performances in recent memory on Thursday, defeating the Maldives 3-0 at the National Stadium in the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament and ending a wait of more than two and a half years for an international win.
It was not just another result.
The triumph delivered Pakistan’s first victory since 2023, their first win over the Maldives since the South Asian Federation Games final in 1991, and the first international success under head coach Nolberto Solano.
For a team that has shown flashes of promise in recent months without getting the rewards, this was a breakthrough that felt overdue.
The opening half, however, suggested another frustrating evening might be on the cards.
Pakistan controlled possession, dictated the tempo and spent long periods in the Maldivian half, but struggled to carve out clear opportunities. The visitors, despite seeing little of the ball, remained dangerous on the counterattack and occasionally threatened to punish Pakistan’s wastefulness.
The deadlock remained intact at the break, but Solano insisted his side never panicked.
“Both teams had their chances in the first half, but the most important thing was keeping a clean sheet in those first 45 minutes,” the Peruvian coach explained after the match.
“We knew that in the second half teams normally begin to tire, and we would start finding spaces and creating moments to score. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened today.”
His prediction proved remarkably accurate.
Pakistan came out after the restart with renewed purpose and finally found the breakthrough. Hayyan Khattak unleashed a powerful effort that the Maldives goalkeeper could only parry into danger. Umer Nawaz reacted fastest, pouncing on the loose ball and forcing it over the line to spark celebrations around the stadium.
The goal transformed the contest.
Suddenly chasing the game, the Maldives pushed more players forward in search of an equaliser. They created two excellent opportunities and briefly threatened to spoil Pakistan’s evening, but poor finishing kept the hosts in control.
Pakistan captain Abdullah Iqbal was particularly pleased with how the team managed the game after taking the lead.
“Most importantly, we got the three points, and we got them in the right manner — a great result against a tough team,” he said.
“Even after scoring the first goal, we knew we had to stay focused and keep our shape so they couldn’t hurt us on the counter. It was important to maintain that balance while continuing to push for the second and third goals.”
That discipline would eventually pay off.
As the Maldives committed more men forward, spaces began to appear at the back. Pakistan ruthlessly exploited them in the closing stages.
In the 83rd minute, substitute Abdul Samad Arshad showed impressive composure to slot home Pakistan’s second and effectively put one hand on the victory.
Four minutes later, another substitute added the finishing touch.
Harun Hamid’s strike took a decisive deflection off a defender, looping over the stranded goalkeeper and into the net to seal a commanding 3-0 scoreline.
By the final whistle, the relief inside the stadium was unmistakable.
Solano praised his players for sticking to the game plan despite difficult conditions and a challenging opponent.
“The Maldives are a very good team and we knew what to expect going in,” he said.
“The surface did not help either side very much. It was genuinely difficult for the players to play the kind of football we want to play. But we were disciplined in possession and made sure we were solid at the back.”
“The plan worked. But now we must immediately focus on the next match.”
That focus will come soon enough.
For one night, though, Pakistan can enjoy the moment.
After 961 days without an international victory, the wait is finally over. More importantly, the manner of the performance — disciplined, patient and clinical when it mattered most — offers genuine reason for optimism as the Shaheens look to build momentum for the rest of the tournament.
Source: DAWN
Mohsin is a co-founder & Chief Editor of footballer.pk