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FOOTBALL - Int News 27 Sep, 2025

SAFF U-17 Final: Dilawar appointed as Reserve Assistant Referee

Colombo (SBR): Pakistan’s renowned FIFA Assistant Referee Dilawar Khan has been appointed as the Reserve Assistant Referee for the Final Match of the SAFF U-17 Football Championship 2025.Dilawar Khan’s selection for the decisive fixture reflects not only his individual dedication and skill but also highlights the growing recognition of Pakistani match officials on the regional stage.The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) extended its heartfelt congratulations to Dilawar Khan, acknowledging his achievement as a source of pride for the country’s football community.

FOOTBALL - Int News 25 Sep, 2025

Bangladesh defeat Pakistan 2-0 to reach SAFF U17 Championship final

Colombo (SBR): Bangladesh booked their place in the final of the SAFF U17 Championship 2025 after defeating Pakistan 2-0 in the first semi-final in Sri Lanka.Bangladesh got off to a flying start, with Nazmul Huda scoring the opening goal in the 3rd minute. Just a minute later, Mohammad Rahman doubled the lead with a strike in the 4th minute, giving Bangladesh early control of the match.

FOOTBALL - Int News 22 Sep, 2025

Pakistan to face Bangladesh in SAFF U-17 Semi-Final

Colombo (SBR): The semi-finals of the SAFF U17 Championship 2025 are set to take place on September 25 in Sri Lanka. Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in the first semi-final at 2:30 pm Pakistan time while India will face Nepal in the second semi-final later in the day.Earlier, Pakistan lost to India 3-2 in the group stage. India went ahead in the 31st minute through Dallalmuon Gangte but Muhammad Abdullah equalized for Pakistan with a penalty in the 43rd minute.In the second half, India scored again through Gunleiba Wangkheirakpam in the 63rd minute and Rehan Ahmed in the 73rd to make it 3-1. Pakistan pulled one back with Hamza Yasir’s goal in the 70th minute, but India held on for the win.

FOOTBALL - Int News 19 Sep, 2025

Pakistan defeat Maldives 5-2 to secure semi-final spot

Colombo (SBR): Pakistan continued their strong run in the SAFF U17 Championship 2025, defeating Maldives 5-2 to book their place in the semi-finals.Mansoor Ahmed was the star of the match, scoring a brilliant hat-trick with goals in the 12th, 32nd, and 45th minutes. Muhammad Abdullah added two more for Pakistan, striking in first-half stoppage time and again in the 59th minute.For Maldives, Ailyan Ahmed scored in the 42nd minute while Muhammad Shayan pulled one back in the 70th minute.With this victory, Pakistan have secured a place in the semi-finals and will now face India in their final group stage match on September 22. The match will kick off at 2:30 PM Pakistan Standard Time.

FOOTBALL - Int News 16 Sep, 2025

Pakistan defeat Bhutan 4-0 in opening match

Colombo (PR): Pakistan made a winning start to their SAFF U17 Championship 2025 campaign in Sri Lanka, securing a convincing 4-0 victory over Bhutan.Mohammad Abdullah was the star of the match, scoring a brilliant hat-trick. He opened the scoring in the 15th minute before doubling the lead in the 25th minute. Hamza Yasir extended Pakistan’s advantage with a goal in the 67th minute, while Muhammad Abdullah completed his hat-trick just three minutes later in the 70th minute.Pakistan will now face Maldives in their second group match on 19 September 2025 at 2:30 PM Pakistan Standard Time.

FOOTBALL - Int News 14 Sep, 2025

RSL: Englishman Des Buckingham preparing to take on Ronaldo

Sports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): New Al Kholood Head Coach Des Buckingham is a well-travelled man. Now coaching in his fifth country since taking up the role earlier this summer, the Englishman is settling into life in the Rosh Saudi League after spells in New Zealand, Australia and India, where he made history with Mumbai City, winning the Indian Super League and breaking records in the process.His home-town club Oxford United came calling next. A whirlwind return saw Buckingham take the side back to the EFL Championship for the first time in 25 years, writing his name in club folklore along the way.Appointed earlier this summer by Al Kholood’s new owners, the Harburg Group, Buckingham will lead the first foreign-owned club in RSL history. Now settling into life in Ar Rass, Buckingham is relishing the prospect of facing some of the best players and coaches in the world throughout the season ahead.he said: “I look at the managers that are in the league this year. We've got Inzaghi, Lauren Blanc, Jorge Jesus… then you look at some of the players we know, the obvious one is Ronaldo, but you have Mane, Benzema. You've got Nunez, Coman, Neves, so in terms of the quality that it attracts and will continue to attract, it's an exciting place to be right now. I think there's teams here now that have got a forward line that in the Premier League wouldn't go a miss. You know, they all pose their own challenges, but that's the exciting part for me as a Head Coach. I want to challenge myself in the highest place I can in terms of coaches and managers and this league certainly will give me the opportunity to do that.”On the opportunity to coach in Saudi Arabia, Buckingham continued: “The Saudi Pro League is seen as the largest or the biggest competition in Asia. We've done our Champions league campaign with Mumbai for five weeks whilst in Riyadh. So I've been to the country before and it is football mad. And of course you've got 2034 for the World Cup. So it is a very football-mad country. So even walking around the remote regions like we are here in Ar Rass everybody is a football fan.”Reflecting on the challenge of working overseas, Buckingham said: “I love what working overseas allows you to learn. About not just yourself, but about football and about life. I think there's so many things, whether it be cultural, whether it be religion, whether it be football, that I'd like to think, in this fourth [overseas] country now, that will make me not just a better coach, but will make me a better person.”

FOOTBALL - National 11 Sep, 2025

Pakistan team announced for SAFF U-17 Championship 2025

Abdullah AsjadISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has announced the squad for the upcoming SAFF U-17 Championship 2025, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from September 15 to 27, 2025. The squad was finalized by Head Coach Syed Nasir Ismail.Names of players:Goalkeepers: Samar Razzaq, Khalil Jibran and Adil Ali KhanDefenders: Nadeem Hussain, Mohammad Alam, Mohammad Masood, Mohammad Zubair, Shahid Anjum, Aabiss Raza and Azizullah Midfielders: Mustafa Israr, Abdul Samad, Ibrahim Asif, Mohammad Talha, Haroon Rasheed, Mohammad Essa and Saad Tiwana Forwards: Mohammad Abdullah, Mansoor Ahmed, Hasnain Wali Raza, Mohammad Owais, Hamza Yasir and Syed ShahramPakistan has been placed in Group B alongside India, Maldives, and Bhutan. The national side will begin its campaign against Bhutan on September 16, face Maldives on September 19, and conclude the group stage with a match against India on September 22.

FOOTBALL - Int News 28 Aug, 2025

PFF announces squad for AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

Sports Bulletin ReportIslamabad - The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has announced the national U23 squad for AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Saudi Arabia Qualifiers to be held in Cambodia. Under the guidance of Head Coach Nolberto Solano, the squad features a mix of talented players ready to compete at the international level.The final travelling squad comprises 23 players.Goalkeeper: Adam Najeeb, Hassan Ali, Umair AroojForwards: Mckeal Abdullah, Umair Bahader, Furqan Umer, Ali Raza, Suleman Ali, Adeel YounasMidfielder: Tufail Khan, Hayyaan Khattak, Muhammad Junaid, Ali Zafar, Adnan JustinDefenders: Haseeb Khan, Mohib Ullah, Muhammad Adeel, Ans Amin, Mohammad Haroon, Hamza Munir, Ahmed Salman, Junaid Shah, Abdul Rehman

FOOTBALL - FIFA News 23 Aug, 2025

FIFA World Cup 2026: Final Draw in Washington DC on December 5

48-team FIFA World Cup to take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United StatesIslamabad (Sports Report): On Friday, 5 December 2025, the world will discover the group-stage matches to be contested at the FIFA World Cup 26™, with all eyes set to converge on the Kennedy Center in Washington DC for the final draw. As announced by the President of the United States and Chairman of the Kennedy Center, Donald J. Trump, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House, the Kennedy Center will serve as the location for team officials, ambassadors, fans representing the tournament’s Host Cities and global media representatives, amongst others, to unite, as one of the major milestones on the path to the biggest and most engaging FIFA World Cup™ ever is held. The Kennedy Center is America’s national cultural centre and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, attracting millions of visitors each year to more than 2,000 performances, events and exhibits. In December, the iconic FIFA World Cup Trophy will shine brightly at the venue as the world’s best national teams discover their next steps on the path to lifting the coveted crown at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July next year. In a groundbreaking initiative for the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup, fans from each of the 16 Host Cities (two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the United States) will be able to participate in a special lottery for the chance to win complimentary admission to the once-in-a-lifetime event, including a VIP experience. A select number of admissions will be allocated to each Host City, with the lottery procedures to be announced in due course. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “We are excited to host the most anticipated Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup in history in the cultural and entertainment heart of the United States, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The draw is a major tournament milestone and one that will continue the remarkable build-up to the biggest sporting event ever, as we get set for many landmark FIFA events across North America throughout 2026. We look forward to welcoming the team delegations, our partners, global media, and, uniquely, fans representing each of the 16 wonderful Host Cities, to the capital of the United States for this significant occasion.” The draw will commence at 12:00 local time (18:00 CET) and will be beamed to the three host countries and around the globe by FIFA’s Media Partners. Further details of the draw, including broadcast information and the full draw procedures, will be published on FIFA.com in due course. The teams representing the host countries will be assigned to positions A1 (Mexico), B1 (Canada) and D1 (USA), as per the match schedule released last year.

FOOTBALL - National 21 Aug, 2025

Gilani urges players to learn from Head Coach Nolberto Solano

Lahore (SBR): The President of the Pakistan Football Federation, Syed Mohsen Gilani, has stated that Pakistan has never had a coach of such a high pDuring a press conference held at the Pakistan Football Federation, President Syed Mohsen Gilani, accompanied by Head Coach Nolberto Solano, emphasised that Solano’s presence would provide a valuable learning opportunity for local coaches.“His experience will play a key role in strengthening modern football in Pakistan and motivating our players,” Gilani stated. He also highlighted the launch of Pakistan’s first-ever national futsal team, which is currently preparing to participate in an international tournament for the very first time. Gilani further added that FIFA and the AFC have assured their full support for Pakistan’s football development.Newly appointed Head Coach of the Pakistan U23 and Senior Men’s National Teams, Nolberto Solano, a former Peruvian international footballer and experienced coach, shared his vision for Pakistan football.“First of all, I want to thank PFF President Syed Mohsen for giving me this opportunity. It’s a great responsibility and a challenge for me,” Solano said. “I understand the issues Pakistan football is currently facing. In the few days I’ve spent here, I’ve seen an abundance of talent. The players are passionate and eager to play quality football.”“I truly believe we can achieve something meaningful. There’s a real opportunity to develop the game and raise it to a competitive standard. But we must be patient. Our immediate focus is on the U23 squad, and we’ll give it everything we’ve got. With hard work, balance, and time, we can build a strong foundation for the future, he added.