Romesa Umar

ABIDJAN: Pakistan concluded its FIFA Series campaign with a 2-0 defeat to C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire in Abidjan, showing defensive resilience against a higher-ranked opponent on Thursday. The result placed Pakistan third in the standings after a mixed tournament that included an 8-0 win over Turks and Caicos and a 1-0 loss to Mauritania. Despite the defeat, the match highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s disciplined structure and ability to compete against stronger opposition. C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire, ranked 72 places above Pakistan, had previously scored heavily in the tournament but struggled to break down Pakistan&rsquo;s defense for much of the game. Pakistan held firm for nearly 40 minutes, with Kayla Siddiqi and Isra Khan organizing the backline and limiting the hosts to long-range efforts. Goalkeeper Zeeyana Jivraj made several key interventions, while full-backs Anmol Hira and Karissa Jivraj disrupted attacking crosses. C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire opened the scoring in the 39th minute when Ami Diallo headed in following a corner. The hosts increased pressure after the breakthrough, but Pakistan continued to defend resolutely, including a goal-line clearance by Isra. The second goal came in the 69th minute, with Habibou Oudraogo converting another set-piece opportunity. Pakistan&rsquo;s challenge intensified minutes later when Anmol Hira was sent off for handling the ball on the goal line. Jivraj saved the resulting penalty, denying Bernadette Amani and keeping the score line within reach. Jivraj continued to impress, making additional saves late in the match, including a close-range stop and a diving effort to deny a free kick. The tournament marked a competitive outing for Pakistan, who showed improvement in defensive organization and composure under pressure. The FIFA Series provided valuable international exposure for the team, with performances indicating progress despite the final result. While speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Coach Adeel Rizki said that his side was up against &ldquo;a tough opponent&rdquo; wher it was key that th theam manage to keep its &ldquo;shape and discipline.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Overall, it was a very satisfying performance from the team to hold them to just two goals,&rdquo; the coach said, adding that the games were &ldquo;learning curve&rdquo; for the team and they were bound to improve if they continued to &ldquo;play against such opponents.&rdquo;

Football

Result places Pakistan third in the standings after a mixed tournament that included an 8-0 win over Turks and Caicos and a 1-0 loss to Mauritania; despite defeat, match highlights Pakistan’s disciplined structure and ability to compete against stronger opposition.

Pakistan concludes FIFA Series with 2-0 defeat against Côte d’Ivoire 

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in history, Pakistan&#39;s women&#39;s national football team will compete at a FIFA event. The side will depart for C&ocirc;te d&#39;Ivoire on Monday to take part in the FIFA Series. At a press conference in Lahore on Sunday, head coach Adeel Rizki, captain Maria Khan, and Women&#39;s Football Department Director Mejzgaan Orakzai each delivered the same message: the team is going to win. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 625px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2040781463344586997&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F5132%2F&sessionId=6b5c2d37e05a447bcfac632cf01bdc99b47cdca8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><div class="fr-embed"><div><div> &quot;I believe this is one of the strongest squads we&#39;ve had so far,&quot; Rizki said. &quot;We expect to go there and compete at the highest level and make Pakistan proud.&quot;</div></div></div> Pakistan will face Turks and Caicos Islands, Mauritania, and host nation Ivory Coast, all outside the team&#39;s usual AFC confederation. Women&#39;s Football Department Director Mejzgaan Orakzai said the invitation was secured through the direct efforts of PFF President Mohsen Gilani. &quot;Without his personal involvement and the collaboration of PFF staff, we wouldn&#39;t have been able to do this,&quot; Orakzai said. Captain Maria Khan said Ivory Coast&#39;s World Cup experience changes nothing. Her team has faced that level before. &quot;We played the Philippines, which was also a World Cup team,&quot; she said. &quot;The pressure is on Ivory Coast. It&#39;s not on us.&quot; Maria Khan cited one development as proof of how far the program has come. Several players in the squad are arriving directly from professional club football. &quot;That is one of the best signs for our national team,&quot; she said. On selection, the head coach dismissed any divide between diaspora and local players. &quot;The question is always: which Pakistani player is best suited for which position,&quot; he said. The head coach outlined the program&#39;s targets in order: the SAFF Championship, Asian qualifier berths, then Olympic and World Cup qualification. Meanwhile, Mejzgaan Orakzai stated the PFF Women&#39;s Football Department, which operates as an all-women unit, is also working to build pathways for women coaches, referees, and administrators across all levels of the game.

Pakistan Women’s National Team Captain Maria Khan, alongside Head Coach Adeel Rizki and PFF Director Mejzgaan Orakzai, addresses the media in Lahore on Sunday, April 5, 2026. (PFF)

Pakistan’s women’s football team will compete in a FIFA event for the first time, traveling to Côte d’Ivoire for the FIFA Series as officials express confidence in strong performance.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan women's football team"

Pakistan concludes FIFA Series with 2-0 defeat against Côte d’Ivoire

Pakistan women’s football team makes historic FIFA debut, targets victory