For the first time in Pakistan’s women’s football history, Zahmena Malik scored a decisive goal, securing the Green Shirts’ inaugural competitive triumph in a 1-0 victory against Tajikistan during the AFC Olympic Qualifiers on Tuesday.
Pakistan claimed the third position in Group E of the first round of qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Pakistan previously faced a 4-0 defeat against the Philippines and a 2-0 loss against Hong Kong in their first two matches. The Philippines, victorious in all three games, advanced as group leaders to the subsequent round.
Star forward Nadia Khan was unavailable for Pakistan due to an ACL injury, and team captain Maria Khan missed the group stage’s second and third games because of an injury.
On April 2, the national team and coaching staff, comprising 22 members, arrived in Tajikistan from Dubai. The team participated in a short training camp and competed against local clubs.
A total of 26 teams are divided into seven groups for the initial round of qualifiers. The winning teams from each group will progress to the second round, where they will be joined by the five highest-seeded teams – DPR Korea, Japan, Australia, China PR, and Korea Republic.
In the third round, four teams from the second round – the top three group winners and the best-ranked runner-up – will compete in home and away matches. The two final winners will qualify for the 2024 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Paris.
Earlier this year, Pakistan secured second place in Saudi Arabia’s four-nation cup in January. They won their first match against Comoros 1-0, lost their second encounter against Mauritius 2-1, and drew 1-1 with the home team, Saudi Arabia, in their final match
