ARAD (Bahrain): After the thumping by Japan their opening game, Pakistan did better with Alamgir Ghazi scoring a stunning goal from inside his own half but lost 3-1 to Bahrain in their AFC Under-23 Asian Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Having lost 6-0 to Japan on Wednesday, Pakistan held tight till the 25th minute of their second Group ‘D’ game when Sayed Jawad Haider scored with a brilliant free-kick.

Haider doubled Bahrain’s advantage three minutes into the second half with a superb strike from the

edge of the box before Hussein Abdulkarim made it 3-0 seconds later after Pakistan lost possession after kick-off.

Alamgir’s goal with a first-time shot gave Pakistan a consolation in the 70th. Pakistan, now out of the running to qualify for next year’s tournament in Qatar, will face Palestine in their final group game on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2023