PESHAWAR: One goal each by star forward Mujahid, promising Irfan and Sohail guided Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to clinch the three matches bilateral Football Series against visiting Sri Lankan Air Force team in a match played here at PAF Academy Risalpur on Tuesday.
Air Vice Marshal Imran Khalid, AOC PAF Academy Risalpur was the guest on this occasion. Before the start of the last match of the Three-Match Bilateral Friendly Football Series the players of Sri Lankan Air Force Team and host PAF team were introduced to him.
The skippers of both teams, Sri Lankan Air Force and Pakistan Air Force, exchanged their respective country’s flag. There was a stunning PAF Band which further enthralled the sitting spectators were their various tones and making formations and receiving thundering applauses.
The aim and objective of the Series is to strengthen cordial relation between the Air Force teams of both countries, Flt. Lt. Inam Ullah told APP in a post-match talk. He disclosed that they toured Sri Lanka for the first time in December last year as the last Services team of Pakistan toured Bangladesh in way back 1987.
He said they played three matches there against Sri Lankan Air Force Football team and after first two drawn matches, the Pakistan Air Force team won the last match by 1-0, winning the series there 1-0.
In this tour, the Sri Lankan Air Force team toured Pakistan and played three matches wherein the first match was draw 0-0 and the last two matches were won by Pakistan Air Force Football team by 1-0 and 3-0 respectively.
For Pakistan Air Force team, Mujahid was declared as best player and for Sri Lanka, sriker Dumidar was declared as best player. The Sri Lankan Air Force strikers Koauido, Subash, Rohan, Nipona played well but did not score any goal.
The Sri Lankan M. J. R Parera lauded the arrangement made by the PAF for the matches who provided them great hospitality. “I love to visit Pakistan,” Mr. M. J. R Parera told APP. Manager of the Sri Lankan team T.N Vidan Agy expressed satisfaction over the team show and termed such activities should be organized on regular basis.
Sri Lankan team captain Koauido, a striker forward, said the team had tried their best to beat Pakistan Air Force team but PAF team had good combination. He also appreciated the hospitality given by the Pakistan during their visit.
Earlier, the match was started on fast tempo and Mujahid of PAF, the center striker, netted a beautiful goal on the field attempt to make the tally 1-0 in the very outset of the match. Sri Lankan players tried their hard to level the tally but they were not allowed by the pack defense of PAF.
It was the 28th minute when Sohail doubled the lead for PAF when he scored a superb goal on the field attempt. PAF was leading by 2-0 at half-time. It was the second session in which Sri Lankan team kept up pressure to reduce the margin but failed and thus right winger Irfan scored another goal for PAF to make it 3-0. With this victory PAF won the Pakistani-leg of three-match Series 2-0. The first match was drawn 0-0 and in the second match PAF stunned Sri Lanka by 1-0.
At the end, chief guest AVM Imran Khalid gave away trophies and souvenir to the Sri Lankan and Pakistan Air Force teams. The winners’ trophy was awarded to PAF for winning the series. The National Anthems of Sri Lanka and Pakistan were also played.
