DHAKA (Kashmir English): In a Group B match of the 2026 SAFF Championship, Pakistan secured their first victory of the tournament by defeating the Maldives 3-0.
In the match held at the National Football Stadium in Dhaka, Najeebullah Betani scored two goals.
Pakistan played aggressively from the start; in the fourth minute, Mikail Abdullah scored from a penalty kick, followed by two goals from Najeebullah. Pakistan held this lead at the end of the first half.
Neither team managed to score in the second half, and Pakistan emerged victorious with a 3-0 win. With this triumph, Pakistan also made amends for their 2-3 defeat against arch-rivals India in the opening match.
AFC Asian Cup postponed until December 2027
The AFC Asian Cup has been postponed from early 2027 to December next year following recent regional tensions, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Tuesday.
A strike on Riyadh international airport in October killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, with Yemen’s Houthi movement claiming responsibility for the deadliest attack in the Kingdom in more than a decade.
The attacks continue, with the Houthis saying on Monday they had launched drones towards Dammam airport, raising more questions over whether the Asian Cup could still go ahead as scheduled from January 7 to February 5.
AFC Asian Cup moved to December next year
On Tuesday, the AFC, however, said the 24-nation tournament would now take place from December 23 next year to January 21, 2028.
According to the AFC organising committee, the event had been rescheduled in light of the “exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions”.
“The new dates of the tournament will be presented to FIFA for approval,” it added. “Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organisation and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.”
Saudi Arabia has won the Asian Cup three times but has never hosted the continental tournament.
