KARACHI: Pakistan colts were off to a poor start when they went 0-2 down against spirited United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their Group E opener of the 2014 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 Championship Qualifiers at the Punjab Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday. The UAE struck through Mohamed Faisal and Esa Mohamed. Faisal sprinted past a row of defenders before beating the onrushing goalkeeper with a nice chip, while Esa hit the other on a penalty just before the final whistle after Pakistan’s captain Rajab Ali made a foul in the penalty area. Pakistan could have struck twice in the beginning but their frontline failed to show maturity. The team from the Gulf had 57 percent possession of the ball. The visitors had nine shots on target while the hosts managed six unsuccessful drives. Pakistan coach Sajjad Mehmood said missed chances harmed them a lot. “In the initial 15 minutes Muneer missed two sure goals. First, his drive went straight towards the lone-standing keeper. Then, his shot crashed the pole,” Sajajd told ‘The News’. He, however, expressed satisfaction over the way his team played against a tough side. “In the first half we played excellently. We did not give the rivals chance to sneak through but in the second half we made mistakes in defence,” Sajajd said. He said that the team played according to the plan. The UAE had also beaten Pakistan 2-0 in the qualifiers of the same event in Kuwait in 2011. In the first match of the group, Iran inflicted a crushing 8-0 defeat on Sri Lanka. At half time Iran were leading 5-0. They also dominated the second half while playing in 33 degree Celsius temperature and added three goals to their tally. Reza Karimipiraghoom and Nima Mokhtari hit a brace each, while Reza Dehghill, Al Khodadi, Reza Shekrighezel and Fathollah Darzi scored one goal apiece. On Friday, Sri Lanka will face the UAE, while Pakistan will lock horns with Iran. The group stage will conclude on September 29. One team from the group will qualify for the final round which will be held in Thailand next year. The UAE ambassador Esa Abdullah Al-Basha Al-Naeemi also witnessed some part of the match. He also held a meeting with Usman Anwar, the chief organiser of the qualifiers and Sports Board Punjab Director General. The ambassador was briefed about the Punjab government’s initiative to renovate and upgrade the grounds and sports facilities in the province. He was told that around 18,219 sports facilities had been improved after surveys in 3,464 union councils.
