Pakistan moved closer to securing a semi-final spot in the SAFF Cup after a dominant 3-0 victory over Maldives during their second Group B match at National Stadium Dhaka on Sunday. Pakistan scored all three goals in the first half of the encounter.
McKeal Abdullah opened the scoring from the penalty spot. Najeebullah Bettani then struck twice to put Pakistan firmly in control. Bettani doubled the lead with a well-timed finish following an inviting cross from the left by Junaid Shah. The forward made a perfectly timed run into the penalty area to get ahead of his marker and poke the ball past the goalkeeper.
Bettani completed his brace with an individual effort. After Pakistan defended deep in their own half, Bettani collected a clearance on the right, brought the ball under control, and unleashed a powerful strike beyond the helpless Maldives goalkeeper.
While the Maldives enjoyed slightly more possession, they struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities. Pakistan proved more threatening in the final third, registering 15 shots, five of them on target, compared to the Maldives' seven attempts, of which only one was on target. Neither team managed to find further goals after the interval as Pakistan saw out the contest to claim all three points.
Pakistan must now await the outcome of the remaining Group B match between Maldives and India to confirm their semi-final qualification. The Maldives need a substantial victory over India on November 11 to overhaul Pakistan and keep their hopes of reaching the last four alive. If they do not, Pakistan and India will advance to the semi-finals. In their earlier game, Pakistan lost to India 3-2 following a sensational finish.
