Lahore, 13 December: The first-ever females football match between Pakistan and Maldives will go down in soccer records when both the team will play their opener in the first SAFF Women Championship on Tuesday, 14 December (11:05 AM) at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Apart from India, Bangladesh will also have to put up with the challenges of Sri Lanka and Bhutan in Group A while Group B consists of SA Games silver medalists Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Maldives.
It will be second game in Group-B. The first one on Sunday saw Nepal made a flying start as they trounced Maldives 6-0. Anu Lama completed her hat-trick in Nepal´s huge victory, while skipper Jamuna Gurung scored twice. Pramila Rai added another. This is the second hat-trick of Lama for Nepal in international football among three hat-tricks for Nepal so far.
Skipper Gurung is the only other woman footballer to complete hat-trick. Gurung had achieved the feat during their 8-0 route over Sri Lanka at SAG. Women´s football was included in SAG for the first time in the 2010 SAG where Nepal bagged silver after they were defeated 3-1 by India in the final.
“We were slightly nervous before we scored the first goal but the confidence level rose up after the first goal,” Gurung said, adding, “Our chances of making it to the semifinal will strengthen if we could win against Afghanistan in our next outings on Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, the managers of both teams announced their squads,
Pakistan: Sana Mahmood (Young Rising Star) Captain, Asmaa Usman (HEC) VC, Syeda Mahapara, Malaika Noor, Asmara Habib, Sahar Zaman (Young Rising Star), Shumaila Sattar, Naila Rana, Humera Nazir, Nadia Bhatti (WAPDA), Mehwish Khan, Hajra Khan, Marium Laghari (Diya FC), Shahida Ghulam Raza, Shelyla Baloch (Balochistan United), Mejzgaan Orakzai, Abeeha Haider (Islamabad), Ishrat Fatima ( Sports Sciences).
Maldives: Ahmed Fazna, Nisfa Aishath, Shafeeg Fathmath, Haleem Adhila, Ibrahim Nashima, Azeema Aminath, Ahmed Aishath, Mahmood Shaufa, Mohamed Sheeneez, Didi Sanfa Ibrahim, Mohamed Fathimath Nashama, Nasheeda Aminath, Saliya Fathimath, Zahir Fadhuwa, Ali Naeesha Ibrahim, Asma Hawwa, Rushdee Maya Hassan, Thaufeeq Shahula, Shazra Mariyam, Abdul Bari Aminath Reesha, Mariyam Mohamed, Shaira Aminath
Tuesday (Dec 14) Fixture :
Pakistan vs Maldives 11:05 AM, Nepal vs Afghanistan 2:30 PM