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. Kemenangan tersebut juga menandai pertama kalinya dalam sejarah Pakistan tim nasional putra memenangkan final turnamen secara langsung. Afganistan memulai dengan cemerlang dan menguji Pakistan sejak awal, namun Shaheen perlahan-lahan mulai menyesuaikan diri. Otis Khan berpengaruh di sayap kiri dan dari salah satu gerakannya Pakistan mencetak gol pada menit ke-24. 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 merespons sebelum jeda, membentur mistar gawang di masa tambahan waktu, tetapi Pakistan bertahan untuk memimpin 1-0 hingga jeda. 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. Seiring berlalunya pertandingan, Pakistan bertahan dengan tegas dengan kiper Saqib Hanif memimpin lini belakang secara efektif. Harun kemudian memastikan hasil akhirnya di masa tambahan waktu, mengalahkan pengawalnya dengan tikungan tajam sebelum menyelesaikannya melewati tiang gawang. 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.” Kapten Pakistan Abdullah Iqbal mendedikasikan kemenangan trofi tersebut kepada para pendukung sepak bola di negaranya. “Sangat senang dengan tim, pertama-tama,” katanya usai pertandingan. “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. Diterbitkan di Fajar, 11 Juni 2026