KARACHI, Aug 27: Pakistan played out draws in 45-minute halves against the Nepal U-19 and U-16 teams in their final warm-up match on Tuesday ahead of the SAFF Championships.

The draws raise question marks over Pakistan’s preparations for South Asia’s most prestigious football event although Pakistan coach Shahzad Anwar opted for experimental line-ups in the matches.

According to the information received here from Kathmandu, Pakistan drew 1-1 with the Nepal U-19 team in the first-half of the game at the Nepal Army Physical Centre.

Pakistan took the lead when Kaleemullah set up Mohammad Riaz to score in the 11th minute with a deft touch but Nepal U-19 equalised four minutes later when goalkeeper Yousuf Butt was caught off position by a long range shot by Ashim Jung Karki.

In the second-half of the game against Nepal’s U-16 team, Pakistan dominated possession but failed to convert that into goals as they were held by the hosts’ youngsters.

The closest they came to scoring was when striker Mohammad Mujahid struck the cross-bar with a header in the 58th.

Pakistan, who were to be joined by defender Zesh Rehman later on Tuesday, start their Group ‘A’ campaign in the SAFF Championships against India on September 1.

India, meanwhile, arrived in Nepal on Tuesday in high spirits as they look to defend their title.

“We are the defending champions but there isn’t any room for any complacency. We will be sticking to the strategies and taking one match at a time,” Indian captain Sunil Chhetri said in comments reported by the Indo-Asian News Agency (IANS).

Pakistan’s other group opponents Nepal and Bangladesh are also in good spirits.

Pakistan meet Nepal in their second group match on September 3 with the hosts’ Polish-born American coach confident of putting an end to Nepal’s wait for glory in the South Asian competition.

“I had set a target when I landed in Kathmandu seven months earlier, and I think the time is ripe now to deliver,” Jack Stefanowski told Nepalese daily The Himalayan Times.

Bangladesh, who face Nepal in the SAFF Championship opener on August 31 and play Pakistan in the final Group ‘A’ game on September 5, arrived in Kathmandu on Monday and held their first training session on Tuesday.

“We have worked very hard. If everyone can do their jobs, we can achieve success. The group is tough but we are confident about doing well,” Bangladesh skipper Mamunul Islam told The Daily Star newspaper.

In other off-beat news, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) allegedly sacrificed five different animals in order to be able to conduct the tournament smoothly.