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News
Sri Lanka, Pakistan win openers
2 April 2008
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AFC Challenge Cup 2006 runners-up Sri Lanka made a scorching start to their qualifying campaign for the second edition of the tournament by making shortwork of Guam 5-1 even as Pakistan were made to work hard by hosts Chinese Taipei for a narrow 2-1 victory on Wednesday.
All six goals of the opening Group A encounter at Chungshan Stadium came in the second period with Sri Lankan striker Channa Ediribandanage breaking the deadlock in the 54th minute. In the very next minute, coach Jang Jung’s team were 2-0 up after playmaker Siyaguna Weerasinghe hit the first of his two goals.
Mendiola Torres’s 62nd minute strike put Guam back into the game but Weerasinghe restored the Lankans’ two-goal edge two minutes later. Substitute Safras Mohamed cemented the lead nine minutes from time and there was still time for Weerarathna Jayasuriya to get on the scoresheet in stoppage time.
In the second match, Pakistan fell behind in the fifth minute to a shock goal by Lo Chi-An but reliable captain Essa Mohamed restored parity in the 13th minute. Masih Michael posted the goal which made the difference in the 34th minute and Mohiuddin Akhtar’s charges defended purposefully to end the game with three points.
Pakistan take on Sri Lanka on Friday while Guam clash with Chinese Taipei in the knowledge that only the group toppers advance to the main competition which will be held in Hyderabad, India, from July 30-August 10.
DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, hosts India and Myanmar have direct entry to the eight-team finals.
The winners of the 2008 and 2010 editions of the AFC Challenge Cup qualify directly for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar. |
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