LAHORE – Pakistan on Monday qualified for the final of the Street Child World Cup 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
The boys in green outclassed Indonesia 5-4 on penalties to secure their place in the final, where they will face Uzbekistan for the trophy.
This is Pakistan’s best-ever finish in the tournament’s history. The tournament is featuring 12 teams in the boys’ event. Earlier, Pakistan defeated Russia 3-1 after they had kicked off their campaign with a goalless draw against Uzbekistan.
Pakistan reached the semi-final by beating Tajikistan 2-0 in the quarter-final on Sunday. The Street Child World Cup is traditionally held in the host country of the World Cup a month before to highlight the global social issue of youth homelessness.
Since its launch in South Africa in 2010, the tournament has travelled to Brazil and now to Russia, where there are some 55,000 registered orphans, according to official statistics.
The tournament’s stars are orphans, who were either abandoned by their parents or come from extreme poverty.
The participants are 230 boys and girls from 21 countries aged 14 to 17.
