Luck eluded Pakistan completely when they drew Malaysia 0-0 in London Olympics Football Qualifier at Punjab Stadium, Lahore. The result was not enough for Pakistan as Malaysia moved into next round with 2-0 on aggregate. It were Chaman-based front runners Jadeed Khan and Kalim Ullah who missed real chances throughout the 90-minute tussle but none of them besides Muhammad Adil, Rizwan Asif weren’t able to get the breakthrough against sound keeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat who was also Malaysian captain.
The chief guest was Federal Secretary Sports, Aziz Ahmed Bilour while Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Pakistan Sports Board Director General Amir Hamza Gilani also watched the match.
Pakistan fielded Muhammad Omar as keeper in the match (replaced in 88th min by Amir Gul due to injury) and once again he was active in keeping the Malaysian in check particularly their first leg scorers Wan Zaharulnizam and Mohd Irfan Fazail.
Pakistan’s National team has FIFA World Ranking of 171 as compared to Malaysia’s 138,but the U21 team of Pakistan put up fine display and can only blame themselves for not reaching the Target of 3-0 win.
Tariq Lutfi-coached Pakistan were clearly better team in the Match but the poor finishing, at least six sitter, tarnished their image. He also put on new comers Rashid Ali, Asim Mansoor to try for a goal but Pakistan failed to accomplish the task.
Malaysia, under Ong Kim Swee, and other ten winners from Round joined Asia’s 13 highest ranked teams Australia, Bahrain , China PR, North Korea, South Korea, Iraq, Japan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Uzbekistan, Vietnam in the second round of Olympic Qualifiers scheduled for 19 and 23 June.The twelve winners from the second round will be drawn into three groups of four teams each, playing six matches from 21 Sep 2011 to 14 March 2012. The top team in each group will automatically earn a place in the 2012 London Olympics while the three runners-up will play each other at a centralised venue on 25, 27 and 29 March 2012.The playoff winner will advance to another playoff against the fourth-ranked African team for a berth at London 2012.
PAKISTAN
1. Muhammad Umer,
2. Faisal Iqbal, 3. Ahsanullah, 4. Manzoor Ahmed, 5. Alamgir Khan,
6. Syed Arif Hussain, 7. Muhammad Adil, 8. Mahmood Khan
9. Rizwan Asif (VC), 10. Kaleemullah, 11. Jadeed Khan Pathan (C)
Subs: 12. M Qais, 13. Saddam Hussain, 14. Ghazanfar Abbas, 15. Ubaid Majeed, 16. Rashid Ali, 17. Asim Mansoor, 18. Amir Gul.
Team coach: Tariq Lutfi
MALAYSIA
1. Khairul Fahmi bin che mat
2. Mahalli bin Jasuli, 3. Mohd Affize Faisal bin Mamat, 4. Mohd Fazli bin Mohd Shas 7. Mohd Irfan bin Fazail,
8. Wan Zaharulnizam bin Zakaraia, 9. Ahmad Fakri bin Saarani, 11.Gurusamy Govandar Kandasamy,
12. Gary Steven Robertm 15. Mohd Muslim bin Ahmed, 17. Mohd Fandi bin Othman
SUBS: 5. Mohd Faizal bin Abu Bakr, 6. Sivanesan Shanguman, 19, Thamil Arasu Ambumamee, 13. Nazirul Naim bin che Hashim, 14. Ahmad Shabir bin Md Ali, 16. Syahrul Azwari bin Ibrahim, 18. Muhammad Zamir bin Selamat
COACH: Ong Kim Swee, Team Manager: Afandi bin Hamzah
Technical Officials of Pakistan-Malaysia Olympic Qualifier (9 March , Punjab Stadium,Lahore, 8 PM)
Match Commissioner: Hassan Ghaffari (Iran)
LO Match Commissioner: Mian Rizwan Ali ( Lahore)
Referee Assessor: Jasim Mohammad Mahmood Abdul Karim (Bahrain)
Referees: Hoang Minh Nguyen, Dinh Dung Phung, Minh Tri Vo, Ngoc Ha Nguyen ( All from Vietnam)
