Honouring the unsung heroes of the Pakistan U-16 team

The Pakistan U-16 team lifted the SAFF Cup last year despite all odds. However they weren’t given their due rewards and fame. So Newspakistan remembers those who created history in Nepal in August 2011.

Lifting the U-16 SAFF Cup in Kathmandu, one could see the glimmer in the eyes of Pakistani skipper, Munir Aftab. The centre-back from a humble background had finally done something for his country, which football fanatics had been craving for the past five
years – silverware.

It is not unusual to hear in the streets of the Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, that while Pakistan boast true footballing gems in their midst, a lack of a proper system and corruption have been the bane of our lacklustre performances.

However the U-16 team’s triumphant victory was in defiance of that, as the PFF failed to hold the U-16 National Championship in preparation for the SAFF Cup. However despite the failure, coach Hassan Baloch drafted a team from his U-14 side and managed to
showcase his credentials at the prestigous competition.

Facing off in the final against India, the occasion was already a spectacular one and the prospect of a battle between the eternal rivals, only cranked up the pressure. Pakistan, however, were able to come out as winners as Muhammad Zeeshan and star forward
Mansoor Khan put the ball in the net twice.

Captain Munir Aftab summed up their displays in the tournament with immaculate precision as he declared the win as a gift to the terrorized Nation on its Independence Day.

“It is a dream come true for us because we played an inspired game and were justly rewarded by the Almighty. We were well motivated by the team officials and played according to a plan which brought us the win. It is our gift to the nation on the eve of
the Independence Day.”

Pakistan’s has few heroes to savour in footballing world, but in the likes of Munir Aftab, Sher Ali and Mansoor Khan, we have players who did the country truly proud by lifting silverware after a five-year hiatus. 

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Posted by Shahrukh Sohail on Jan 18 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry