MALE: Pakistan ended a 74-year wait for a football tournament title on Wedn­esday, defeating Afghanistan 2–0 in the final of the Diamond Jubilee Intern­ational Football Tournament in at the National Stadium to claim a historic first stand-alone international crown.

Shayek Dost produced a spectacular overhead kick to open the scoring in the first half before substitute Harun Hamid added a second in stoppage time to seal victory, as Pakistan lifted a tournament trophy for the first time since 1952 — when they shared the Asian Quadrangular title on a league basis.

The triumph also marks the first time in Pakistan’s history that the men’s national team has won a tournament final outright.

Afghanistan started brightly and tested Pakistan early, but the Shaheens gradually settled into rhythm. Otis Khan was influential down the left flank and it was from one of his moves that Pakistan struck in the 24th minute.

A loose clearance and a misdirected cross fell kindly for Shayek, who adjusted brilliantly to execute an acrobatic finish into the net, sending the Pakistan supporters into celebration.

Afghanistan responded before half-time, hitting the crossbar in injury time, but Pakistan held on to take a 1–0 lead into the break.

The second half saw Pak­istan continue to press, with Adil Nabi striking the bar soon after the restart, while Afghanistan pushed forward in search of an equaliser.

As the match wore on, Pakistan defended resolutely with goalkeeper Saqib Hanif marshaling the back line effectively. Harun then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, beating his marker with a sharp turn before finishing past the post.

Pakistan had earlier gone unbeaten en route to the final, including a 2–0 win over Afghanistan in the round-robin stage, and sealed the title with a third consecutive victory in the tournament.

Pakistan head coach Norberto Solano praised his side’s resilience and growth, saying the win reflected their progress ahead of next year’s Asian Cup and World Cup qualifying campaigns.

“We proved that we are a strong group of boys coming back after the Bangladesh draw. They are happy, I am so glad for them, for the Pakistani nation,” Solano said. “This brings back belief in football. They have amazing talent. We have to continue this as we have more challenges in September, October and November. We have to prepare well before Asian competitions start next year.”

Pakistan captain Abdullah Iqbal dedicated the trophy win to the country’s football supporters.

“Very happy with the team first and foremost,” he said after the match. “This one is for the fans. We have worked so hard for the fans. We had to give back to the fans. They had supported us through very tough times. That’s the most important thing for us.”

Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Syed Mohsen Gilani, in a brief statement, said the victory marked a key milestone in his tenure and signalled a “new beginning” for Pakistan football.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2026