Pakistan made a sizzling start to their Fifa Series campaign with a record-breaking 8-0 victory over the Turks and Caicos Islands at the Stade Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan on Thursday.
Four goals by four different scorers in the first half set the tone for Adeel Rizki’s side before two more players got their names on the scoresheet as Pakistan surpassed their previous-best victory — 7-0 against the Maldives in September 2022.
Pakistan made their attacking intent clear from the very beginning when Mariam Mahmood, fresh from winning the Welsh league title with Wrexham Women, struck the side netting with a shot from an acute angle inside the first four minutes.
After Nadia Khan tested Turks and Caicos goalkeeper Archenie Desir with a shot from long range, Pakistan opened the scoring in the 10th minute with Zahmena Malik finding the back of the net.
It was 2-0 two minutes later, Aqsa Mushtaq slotting in after a rebound after Mariam had forced a save from Desir.
Pakistan continued to press with midfield metronome Layla Banaras showing her quality when she made it 3-0 with a weaving run and smart finish just past the half-hour mark.
In a game where Pakistan had pinned their opponents in the opposing half for almost the entirety of the match, Mariam got on the scoresheet in the 38th when she expertly volleyed in a cross at the back post.
Pakistan continued in the same vein in the second half, Nadia planting a perfect header to a cross from the left in the 56th to make it 5-0.
Aqsa scored a pearler to make it 6-0 in the 76th before Layla also got her second with a perfectly-placed shot from outside the box. Isra Khan’s goal in the 81st completed the record-breaking triumph.
PFF president Mohsen Gilani hailed the historic win. “I congratulate the players and the coaching staff for creating history. This is the start of a new era for women’s football in Pakistan and I hope the team continues in the same vein in the Fifa series.”
