Pakistan’s street football team was narrowly defeated by Club Forde in the semifinal of the Norway Cup on Friday, losing 3-4 in a penalty shootout. The match initially ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Mohammad Adeel scoring the equalizing goal for Pakistan in the second half.
Despite the defeat, Muslim Hands Pakistan, the non-government organization sponsoring the Pakistani street footballers, praised the team for their remarkable resilience and skill.
Pakistan had hoped to win the title this year after finishing as runners-up in the previous edition. The loss to Club Forde was reminiscent of last year’s final, where Pakistan also suffered a heartbreaking defeat in a penalty shootout.
The Pakistan team will now play against Norway’s Sutra Club for third place on Saturday.
In previous tournaments, Pakistan finished as runners-up in the 2022 Street Child World Cup in Qatar, runners-up in the 2018 edition in Russia, and third in the 2014 edition in Brazil.
