ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s street football team has achieved its first victory in the Norway Cup by defeating Astor Footballklubb 6-1, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
Astor took an early lead with a goal against the Pakistani team in the first half, but the national side quickly equalized it, setting the stage for a thrilling match.
In the second half, Pakistan team dominated the game and scored five goals. For Pakistan, Abdul Ghani scored two goals while Mohammad Essa, Mohammad Junaid, Owais Ahmed and Mohammad Khan hit one goal each.
“This victory marks a significant milestone for the National Street Child Football team,” Pakistani state-run APP news agency reported.
Having finished as runners-up in the last edition, Pakistan are eager to lift the title this time and Sunday’s victory has set the tone for their upcoming matches.
Pakistan will play their second group match against Verdeneset BK on July 29, followed by another against Oystese IL Oystese on July 30. The tournament is running from July 27 till August 3.
Pakistan finished runners-up in the Street Child World Cup in Qatar in 2022. They were also the runners-up in the previous edition in Russia in 2018 and finished third in the 2014 edition in Brazil.
Pakistan street football team secures first victory in Norway Cup
https://arab.news/99vr9
Pakistan street football team secures first victory in Norway Cup
- Having finished as the runners-up in the last edition, Pakistan are eager to win the title this time
- They will play their second group match against Verdeneset BK, followed by Oystese IL Oystese
Pakistanis among 44 migrants rescued by aid ship off Libyan coast
- Survivors rescued after days at sea on unseaworthy boat in international waters
- Pakistanis have featured in several deadly Mediterranean migrant disasters in recent years
Crew members of the humanitarian rescue ship Ocean Viking evacuated and provided first aid to 44 migrants stranded aboard a merchant vessel in international waters off the Libyan coast, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday.
The group, originating mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt, had been rescued earlier from an unseaworthy fiberglass boat and later transferred to the merchant ship before the Ocean Viking intervened, according to the organization.
Libya, about 300 kilometers from Italy, remains one of the main departure points in North Africa for migrants attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing, despite repeated warnings from humanitarian agencies about abuse, exploitation and high fatality rates along the route.
Migrants often depart Libya after months in detention centers or informal holding sites, boarding overcrowded and unsafe vessels operated by smuggling networks. Delays in rescue frequently leave survivors severely weakened, aid groups say.
“These 44 people, they are mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt. They departed reportedly from Benghazi (Libya) some five or six days ago. And they are now safe on board the Ocean Viking, recovering,” Francesco Creazzo, spokesperson for SOS Mediterranee, said.
Creazzo said the migrants were found in severe physical distress when evacuated.
“They were exhausted, coughing of dehydration, extremely weak, some couldn’t walk,” he added.
The Ocean Viking, an ambulance ship operated by SOS Mediterranee, regularly conducts search-and-rescue missions in the central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. According to international organizations, thousands of people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean over the past decade while attempting to reach Europe.
The latest rescue comes amid a series of deadly migrant disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years that have involved Pakistani nationals. In June 2023, at least several hundred migrants died when the Adriana, a fishing trawler carrying migrants from Pakistan and other countries, capsized off the coast of Greece in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in the region in a decade.
Earlier incidents have also seen Pakistani migrants perish in shipwrecks off Italy, Tunisia and Libya, highlighting the persistent risks faced by people attempting irregular sea crossings to Europe. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly urged citizens not to undertake the journey, while international agencies warn that smugglers continue to exploit economic hardship and conflict to lure migrants onto unsafe boats.
