Pakistan outplay Afghanistan to enter SAFF semi-finals

E-Paper | March 17, 2026

SAFF women's football championship, pakistan women's football, PFF, SAFF

Pakistan will face Nepal in what is expected to be a tough semi-final on Saturday December 18. -Photo by AP (file)

Pakistan completed a comprehensive 3-0 win over neighbors Afghanistan to enter the semi-finals of the 1st SAFF Women's Football Championship on Thursday.

Malaika Noor, Shyla Baloch and Mejzgaan Orakzai scored a goal each in Pakistan's second win at Cox’s Bazar’s Zilla Stadium in Bangladesh.

Noor, the leading scorer of Pakistan's 6th National Women Football Championship, led her country's attack and scored her second goal of the championship.

Pakistan will face Nepal in what is expected to be a tough semi-final on Saturday, 18 December, a PFF official informed Dawn.com.

However, according to the format of the tournament, Pakistan's game against Nepal is a group match and will decide the semi-final line-up.

In the first game of the championship Pakistan came back from a goal down to score a spirited 2-1 win over Maldives on Tuesday.

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Ali

Dec 16, 2010 07:09pm

Go on Pakistan! You can do it!

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M. Asghar

Dec 16, 2010 10:06pm

All this is good and it shows that playing well with determination, one can achieve heights in life for oneself and for the society.

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Hasan Zaheer

Dec 17, 2010 02:40am

Perfect. Thank you DAWN for the news. I just wish we could even have such events broadcasted on the TV as well. It is our national duty to support the talent that our country has, especially in the women. Thank you DAWN!

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Naveed

Dec 17, 2010 04:36am

There is an error in this report. Pakistan will play Nepal in their last group match before Semi-final. The outcome of that encounter will decide the semifinal opponent for Pakistan. Either Bangladesh or India will play Pakistan in the semi final.

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Omar

Dec 17, 2010 11:51am

Great news. Go Team Pakistan!

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azeem

Dec 17, 2010 02:09pm

wonderful

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Hasan Zaheer

Dec 17, 2010 02:58pm

@ Naveed: Can you please paste the reference as well?

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umair khan

Dec 17, 2010 03:30pm

this is great news by pak's football women.........go pakistani go

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Mark

Dec 18, 2010 09:57am

It's obvious Pakistan still have to play Nepal in the group matches. There are 4 teams in each of the 2 groups, and each team plays 3 matches. Afghanistan v Maldives and Nepal v Pakistan are the last group matches. Pakistan must beat Nepal to avoid India in the semi-finals and play Bangladesh instead. Full fixtures here: http://www.srilankafootball.com/women/saffFixture...

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Mark

Dec 18, 2010 09:59am

Just an addition - if a PFF official really said that Pakistan were playing Nepal in the semi-finals, then it is quite worrying that they don't even know what is going on with their own national team.

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