Pakistan secured a place in the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament 2026 after a 2-0 win over Afghanistan at the National Football Stadium.
The Green Shirts started strongly and took an early lead through Umer Nawaz, who scored in the opening minutes to give Pakistan a 1-0 advantage at halftime.
Afghanistan pushed for a response but failed to create clear chances, while Pakistan stayed disciplined and controlled the game for long spells.
After holding the narrow lead for most of the match, Pakistan finally doubled their advantage in stoppage time. Harun Hamid scored in the 92nd minute, during seven minutes of added time, to seal a deserved victory.
The result marked Pakistan’s second win of the tournament. They had earlier defeated the Maldives 3-0 at the same venue on Thursday after opening their campaign with a goalless draw against Bangladesh.
The win over the Maldives was Pakistan’s first victory since the 1991 South Asian Games. Their latest result has now taken them into their first senior men’s international final since the 1991 South Asian Federation Games.
Pakistan has also reached the final of a standalone international football tournament for the first time since the 1962 Merdeka Tournament, where they finished runners-up after a 2-1 defeat to Indonesia.
Pakistan will now face either Bangladesh U23 or Afghanistan in the final on June 10.