Pakistan national under-17 football team

Pakistan Under-17
Nickname(s)Green Boys
AssociationPakistan Football Federation
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationSAFF (South Asia)
Head coachSajjad Mehmood
CaptainUbaidullah Khan
FIFA codePAK
First colours
Second colours
First international
  1–1 Maldives 
(Kathmandu, Nepal; July 1992)
Biggest win
  6–0 Maldives 
(Kathmandu, Nepal; 3 August 2011)
Biggest defeat
 Indonesia 25–0  
(Tehran, Iran; 28 October 2012)
AFC U-17 Asian Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2002)
Best resultGroup Stage (2002)
SAFF U-17 Championship
Appearances4 (first in 2011)
Best resultChampions (2011)

The Pakistan national under-17 football team is a youth football team operated under the Pakistan Football Federation. The team represents Pakistan in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup and the SAFF U-15/16/17 Championship, winning the latter's inaugural edition, and is yet to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

History

AFC U-17 Asian Cup

The AFC U-16 Championship is the top level tournament for under-16 football teams in Asia and began in 1985. Pakistan participated in the tournament for the first time in 1992, finishing fourth in their five-team group at Rajshahi Stadium in Bangladesh in May 1992. The clash between Pakistan and Maldives ended in a 1–1 draw. In the 24th minute midfielder Mohammad Ayub scored for Pakistan until Maldives fought back and their striker Ahmad Saleh levelled the game.[1] India beat Pakistan 2–0 in the second match. The winners had a 1-0 lead in the first half. The Pakistanis played with 10 players in the last 31 minutes when the referee sent right back Adeel Sarfraz off in the 59th minute. Ajoy Singh scored first and the second goal came from a penalty in the 70th minute after Pakistan's defender Kashmir Naseer fouled India's advancing Joseph Johnson inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty to India.[1] Prosunjit Paul converted the penalty. Host Bangladesh booted Pakistan out of the tournament defeating them by one goal to nil, the solitary goal, netted by right winger Jahangir five minutes before the final whistle. Pakistan lost to Nepal 0–1 in their last match. Nepal's stopper back Gambir Rai scored the lone goal in the ninth minute from a penalty.[1]

Pakistan along with Yemen fielded eight and four overage players respectively at the 2002 AFC U-17 Championship after passing the qualifying round, and were fined and suspended for taking part in the next 2004 AFC U-17 Championship after the discovery.[2][3][4]

In September 2011 for its AFC U-16 Championship qualification campaign, the team retained the same 22-player squad that had won the previous year's SAFF U-16 Championship. It finished fourth in its six-team group, securing wins against Maldives (4–0)[5] and Afghanistan (3–1), but losing against Kuwait (0–2), United Arab Emirates (0–2), and Yemen (0–4).

SAFF U-17 Championship

Pakistan participated in the inaugural SAFF U-16 Championship held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2011 with Sajjad Mehmood as the head coach, Hassan Baloch as manager and Munir Aftab as the captain.[6][7][8] It beat India 1–0 in its first match, before winning 6–0 versus Maldives to reach the semi-finals. Two late goals helped it beat Bangladesh, and thus qualify for the final, in which it beat India 2–1 to win the tournament. Mohammad Bilal was the tournament's top goalscorer with 4 goals,[6] while striker Mansoor Khan was declared the tournament's best player.[7] Overall, Pakistan scored 11 goals and conceded only one.

The under-16 team participated in the 2013 SAFF U-16 Championship held in Nepal, where it was eliminated in the group stage after finishing third in its group after 0–0 draws against both Afghanistan and Bhutan,[9][10] and a 0–3 loss to Nepal. Sajjad Mehmood was the coach for these fixtures.

The team withdrew from the 2015 SAFF U-16 Championship due to conflicts among the government and the Pakistan Football Federation.[11]

In October 2018, the under-15 team participated in the 2018 SAFF U-15 Championship held in Nepal.[12] After victories against India, Bhutan and Nepal,[13] until finishing runner-up in the final against Bangladesh, the team drew by 1–1 draw until finally losing in the penalty shootout.[14][15][16] The team also participated in the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship qualification in 2019.[17][18]

Other tournaments

In March 2012, the Pakistan national under-16 team then participated in the 2012 KPT Challenge Cup as "National Youth B". Drawn into a group with senior teams WAPDA and Pakistan Navy, the young team lost 0–3 against the former, and 0–2 against the latter. In May, it participated in the National Under-22 Football Championship, where it drew 0–0 against Baloch Nushki and 1–1 against Sindh, thus topping group B. In the semi-finals, the youth team lost 0–2 against Pakistan Army.

In July 2012, three under-16 players went to Abu Dhabi for a month-long training camp at the Manchester United Soccer Schools.[19]

Coaching staff

As of September 2024[20]
Position Name
Head coach Sajjad Mehmood
Assistant coach Hassan Baloch
Goalkeeping coach Noman Ibrahim

Players

U-16 last squad

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ghulam Abbas POPO FC
1GK Aadil Ali Khan Mehran FC
1GK Kashif Ibrahim

2DF Muhammad Husnain Mehran FC
2DF Abdul Rehman POPO FC
2DF Najeem Khan POPO FC
2DF Sameer Ahmed
2DF Ubaidullah Khan (Captain) Muslim Hands FC
2DF Majid Ali
2DF Muhammad Aabis Raza POPO FC
2DF Umar Javed POPO FC
2DF Sayyam Chaudhry

3MF Abdul Samad POPO FC
3MF Muhammad Faraz POPO FC
3MF Haroon Rashed POPO FC
3MF Muhammed Farhad
3MF Khobaib Khan POPO FC
3MF Muhammad Khan Muslim Hands FC
3MF Shahab Ahmed POPO FC
3MF Hikmatullah

4FW Abdul Ghani Karachi United
4FW Muhammad Talha Khan Gladiators FC
4FW Subhan Karim
4FW Sharaf Khan Pak Afghan FC

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss

2024

21 September 2024 2024 SAFF U17 GS Nepal    0–1   Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan
14:00 Report Muhammad Talha 81' Stadium: Changlimithang Stadium
Attendance: 60
Referee: Sashanka Madushanka (Sri Lanka)
23 September 2024 2024 SAFF U17 GS Bhutan  3–3   Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan
18:00 Thinley Yeszer 25'
Tandin Phuntsho 90+4'
Sonam Dorji 90+6' (pen.)
Report Khobaib Khan 38'
Subhan Karim 47'
Sharaf Khan 68'
Stadium: Changlimithang Stadium
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Md Symoon Hasan Sany (Bangladesh)
25 September 2024 2024 SAFF U17 GS   5–1  Sri Lanka Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan
14:00 Subhan Karim 20', 36'
Muhammad Talha 30'
Abdul Ghani 56'
Abdul Samad 67'
Report
  • Zakariyya Zafarullah 77'
Stadium: Changlimithang Stadium
Referee: Zaheer Hussain (Maldives)
28 September 2024 2024 SAFF U17 SF   2–2
(7–8 p)
 Bangladesh Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan
17:00 M Shahab Ahmed 32'
Abdul Rehman 62' (pen.)
Report Md Manik 74', 90+4' Stadium: Changlimithang Stadium
Attendance: 40
Referee: Pema Tshewang (Bhutan)
Penalties
Abdul Rehman
Abdul Samad
Syed Muhammad Aabis Reza kazmi
Khobaib Khan
Ubaid Ullah Khan
Majid Ali
Sharaf Khan
Abdul Ghaani
Md Murshed Ali
Md Joy Ahmed
Md Kamal Merdha
Md Siam Omit
Md Manik
Akash Ahamad
Md Mithu Chowdhury
Ashikur Rahman

Competition records

FIFA U-17 World Cup

FIFA U-17 World Cup record
Host/Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA
1985

to

2013

did not qualify
2015

to 2019

did not enter
2023 did not enter
2025 to be determined
Total 0/20

AFC U-17 Asian Cup

AFC U-17 Asian Cup record
Host/Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA
1985

to 1990

did not enter
1992 did not qualify
1994 did not enter
1996
1998 did not qualify
2000
2002 Group Stage 10th 3 0 1 2 2 6
2004 did not enter
2006

to

2014

did not qualify
2016

to

2023

did not enter
Total 1/18 3 0 1 2 2 6

SAFF U-16 Championship

SAFF U-15/16/17 Championship record
Hosts / Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA
2011
Champions
1/6 4 4 0 0 11 1
2013
Group Stage
5/7 3 0 2 1 0 3
2015 Withdrew 0/6 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017 did not enter 0/6 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018 Runners-up 2/6 4 3 0 1 11 2
2019 did not enter 0/6 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 did not enter 0/6 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023 Semi-Final 3/6 3 2 0 1 6 3
2024 Semi-Final 3/7 4 2 2 0 11 6
Total 5/9 1 Title 18 11 4 3 39 15

Honours

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Pakistan Year Book. East & West Publishing Company. 1992. p. 121.
  2. ^ "Pakistan penalised in age scandal". telegraphindia.com. 12 December 2002.
  3. ^ archive (16 December 2002). "Fielded over-age players in under-17 competition Yemeni footballers kicked out of games [Archives:2002/51/Sports]". Yemen Times archives. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  4. ^ "SPORTS WORLD: AFC President's Cup: PFF must cash in on opportunity". Brecorder. 16 June 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Pakistan U-16 crush Maldives 4-0". The Express Tribune. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b "'More international exposure will prepare U-16 boys for senior team'". Dawn. 13 August 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Pakistan U-16 defy all odd to win SAFF U-16 Football Championship final". Dawn. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Pakistan footballer Munir Aftab passes away". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  9. ^ Raheel, Natasha (20 July 2013). "Pakistan record goalless draw in opener". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  10. ^ Raheel, Natasha (22 July 2013). "Pakistan succumb to another draw". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  11. ^ Wasim, Umaid (16 July 2015). "Hayat blames govt for abrupt SAFF U-16 withdrawal". Dawn. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Pak colts leave for Nepal to feature in SAFF U15 C'ship". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Mohib steers Pakistan into SAFF U-15 Cup final". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Pakistan reach SAFF Under-15 C'ship final". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Pakistan lost SAFF U-15 C'ship final on penalties to Bangladesh". The Nation. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  16. ^ natasha.raheel (3 November 2018). "Saff U15 Championship: Pakistan lose to Bangladesh in final". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Young Pakistani footballers get warm welcome in Saudi Arabia". Arab News. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Pak U16s leave for AFC C'ship 2020 Qualifiers". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  19. ^ Raheel, Natasha (3 July 2012). "Feature: Under-16 footballers dreaming big". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Squad named for SAFF U17 Championship in Bhutan". thenews.com.pk. 16 September 2024.
  21. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (17 September 2024). "Pakistan U-17 football team head to Bhutan". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 17 September 2024.