HISOR (Tajikistan): Two own goals late in the second half saw the Pakistan women’s football team fall to a 2-0 defeat to Hong Kong here on Saturday, their second successive loss in the first round of qualifiers for next year’s Paris Olympics.

It was a better performance overall from the side than the one in the Group ‘E’ opener against the Phili­ppines, where they were thrashed 4-0, but the defeat at the Hisor Central Stad­i­um nevertheless end­ed Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the next round with only the group winners advancing to the next round.

Goalkeeper Nisha Ash­raf, who replaced Rumaysa Khan, put in a superb performance only to concede in the 73rd minute when she caught a long-range shot by Hong Kong skipper Chan Wing Sze but fell into her goal.

Pakistan then conceded in the final minute of the game with defender Sara Khan attempting to clear away a shot but only succeeding in turning the ball into her own net.

Adeel Rizki’s side will look to grab a consolation win in their final group game when they face hosts Tajikistan on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2023