Pakistan beat Maldives 3-0 in their SAFF Championship match on Sunday at the National Stadium in Dhaka. Najeebullah Bettani scored twice, while McKeal Abdullah added another goal. This victory marked Pakistan’s first win in the tournament in over eight years. The team now hopes to qualify for the knockout stage.
Najeebullah Bettani scored a brace as Pakistan thumped Maldives 3-0 in their SAFF Championship group-stage match at the National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Sunday.
England-born forward McKeal Abdullah initially scored the other goal, the opening one of the contest and his first-ever strike for Pakistan.
It was Pakistan's first win in the SAFF Championship in over eight years. It's last victory was against Bhutan on September 8, 2018.
Pakistan lost its opening match of the tournament 2-3 to India despite a late surge, which saw it find the net twice in second-half stoppage time. But under Peruvian legend Nolberto Solano, it has looked in promising form, winning two matches in the ASEAN Cup and now helped the team conjure a memorable victory in the SAFF Championship.
Nolbeto's men have now completed their group-stage matches in the SAFF Championship, and anything but a draw in the match between India and Maldives will see Pakistan qualify for the knockouts, something it last did in 2018.