SAFF has announced the itinerary for the 2025 SAFF U17 Championship, which will be held at the Racecourse International Stadium in Colombo from September 15 to 27. Pakistan U17 football is in a challenging Group B with defending champions India, the Maldives, and Bhutan. Group A includes Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. A key opener versus Bhutan is scheduled for September 16 for the Green Shirts.
After facing the Maldives on September 19, they’ll play archrivals India on September 22. Only the top two teams from each group advance to the September 25 semi-finals, making every group stage encounter crucial. The September 27 final will conclude nearly two weeks of high-stakes youth football. Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka 5-1 in their final group-stage encounter in Bhutan in 2024 to reach the semi-finals.
The semi-final loss to Bangladesh in a penalty shootout (8-7) terminated their journey. Both teams were tied 7-7 after five penalties in that semi-final. After Bangladesh’s goalkeeper saved Pakistan’s seventh attempt, a successful conversion sealed the win. Pakistan had previously drew 3-3 with Bhutan and won 1-0 over Nepal in the group stage.
