Pakistan U17s Beat Sri Lanka 3-1 in AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers Opener

By Imran Javed | Published: 10 November 2026 | Category: Sports

Pakistan’s Under-17s came from behind to beat Sri Lanka 3-1 in Vientiane on Sunday, making a winning start to their AFC U17 Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign. Trailing to an early goal, the Young Shaheens scored three times in 14 second-half minutes — through Muhammad Hammad, Muhammad Moosa and Hazrat Abbas — to top Group D after the opening round. Next up: Iran on Wednesday.

It was the response head coach Mohammad Habib would have wanted. Pakistan fell behind in the 25th minute at the New Laos National Stadium, but refused to panic, and the second-half turnaround was emphatic: three goals between the 57th and 71st minutes, all from open play, against a Sri Lankan side that had started the brighter of the two teams.

Key Facts

The Comeback in Vientiane

Sri Lanka struck first. N. Mahalekamge finished in the 25th minute to give the islanders a half-time lead, and for the opening hour Pakistan chased the game. The breakthrough came in the 57th minute, when Muhammad Hammad levelled the scores — and the game changed completely.

Eleven minutes later, Muhammad Moosa put Pakistan ahead, and within three more minutes Hazrat Abbas made it 3-1. Three goals in 14 minutes, and a match that had looked like slipping away was won with almost 20 minutes to spare. The AFC’s official report described it as “an inspiring second-half performance” — and the scoreline did not flatter Pakistan, who finished the stronger side.

The Group D Picture

Pakistan sit top of Group D after the first round of matches, ahead of Jordan on goals scored — both teams have three points and a goal difference of +2, but Pakistan’s three goals edge Jordan’s two. Jordan beat hosts Laos 2-0 in the other opening match, with Faisal Al-Hourani scoring both goals, in the 11th minute and in stoppage time.

Iran, the group’s top seeds, have yet to play — and they are Pakistan’s next opponents. Sri Lanka and Laos prop up the group after their opening defeats. With only the group winners advancing to the finals, every point matters: there is no second-place safety net in this format, and no best-runners-up route to Uzbekistan.

The Road Ahead — Pakistan’s Remaining Fixtures

All matches are played at the New Laos National Stadium in Vientiane, with kick-off times listed in Pakistan time. The Iran match on Wednesday is the biggest test of the group stage: Iran are the seeded side in Group D and the team Pakistan must beat — or at least not lose to — if they are to keep control of the group. The campaign ends against Jordan on Friday, 20 November, a fixture that could yet decide who goes to Uzbekistan.

The Squad

Head coach Mohammad Habib named a 23-member squad for the qualifiers, selected after the PFF National Under-17 Football Championship. The goalkeepers are Samar Razzaq, Wali Ullah and Ahsan Ullah. The defenders are Nadeem Hussain, Hamza Khan, Muhammad Hammad, Syed Manzar Shah, Mubashir Shah, Muhammad Awais, Hasnain Ali and Mohsin Amin. The midfielders are Abdul Sammad, Arsalan Fareedi, Muhammad Khalil Ullah, Muhammad Irmad Sarwar, Muhammad Anees, Bari Dad and Essa Khan. The forwards are Muhammad Raffy, Muhammad Moosa, Muhammad Shahzad, Hazrat Abbas and Haris Khan.

Two of the three goalscorers against Sri Lanka came from that forward line — Moosa and Abbas — while Hammad scored from defence. It is a young squad, but one with a clear identity: Habib’s side press high, recover quickly, and, as Sunday showed, do not fold when they go behind.

Why This Campaign Matters

Pakistan missed the 2026 finals after a 2-1 defeat to Laos in Bishkek last November, a loss that ended a promising qualifying run. This campaign is the chance to put that right — and the format is unforgiving. Thirty-five teams are contesting the qualifiers across seven groups, and only the seven group winners will join the nine teams already qualified — Australia, China, Japan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, hosts Uzbekistan and Vietnam — at the finals in May 2027.

For Pakistan’s senior team, the week has already brought good news: Pakistan beat Maldives 3-0 in the SAFF Championship to move to the brink of the semi-finals, with India vs Maldives on Wednesday deciding the semi-final picture. And the Test side is in action against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. But the U17s’ win in Vientiane matters for a different reason: it is the first step on the longest road in Asian youth football, and Pakistan have started it with a win.

FAQs

Three goals, 14 minutes, top of the group. Pakistan’s Under-17s could not have asked for a better start in Vientiane — but the campaign is decided by the group winners only, and the hardest match, against Iran, comes on Wednesday.