Pakistan’s senior national football team failed to find the net against Bangladesh’s Olympic U23 side on Monday. The two teams played out a 0-0 draw in the opening game of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in Malé, Maldives.
The game took place at the National Football Stadium in the Maldivian capital. It was the first match of a ten-day competition that also includes hosts Maldives and Afghanistan.
Pakistan had the experience advantage on paper. They fielded their full senior squad while Bangladesh sent out their Olympic U23 team. Coach Nolberto Solano had his best players available but they could not break down the young Bangladeshi defence throughout the 90 minutes.
The outcome will be hard to take for the Green Shirts. It was Pakistan’s first friendly tournament in three years. Their last such competition was the Mauritius Four Nations Cup in June 2023. Solano had been counting on this tournament to sharpen his team ahead of the upcoming SAFF Championship.
Pakistan are also still waiting for a first win in a long time. The last time they tasted victory was a 1-0 win over Cambodia on October 17, 2023. That result came in the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers. Monday’s draw did nothing to end that run.
Several familiar names were back in the squad for this tournament. Yousuf Butt, Easah Suliman, Mamoon Moosa, Muhammad Fazal, Ali Shah and Ali Niazi all featured. Despite their experience, none of them could get past a Bangladesh side largely made up of players yet to earn senior international caps.
The Football Association of Maldives organised this tournament to mark 75 years of football in the country. It is also serving as preparation ground for all competing teams with the 2026 SAFF Championship on the horizon.
Pakistan now turn their attention to their next fixture. They face hosts Maldives on June 4 and then take on Afghanistan on June 7 in their final group stage match. The top two teams at the end of the group stage will advance to the final on June 10.
Bangladesh will take confidence from keeping a clean sheet in their first game. They will be eager to build on this result in the matches ahead.
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