Pakistan U-15 Double Day: South Sudan, Then Cyprus

Pakistan's young Shaheens face the busiest day of their young international lives on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Less than 24 hours after their historic first-ever FIFA match ended in a 4-2 defeat to Gambia, the Pakistan Under-15 team plays twice in one day at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan: South Sudan at 1:45pm Pakistan time, followed by Cyprus at 8:30pm.

It is a brutal, brilliant test of everything this tournament is designed to teach. In the small-sided format, matches last only 40 minutes — two halves of 20 minutes — but the emotional and physical swing between two internationals in a single day is enormous. How Pakistan manage their energy, their rotations and their heads between the two games will matter just as much as any single moment of skill.

This is a day preview, written as the double-header unfolds: at the time of writing, the South Sudan result had not yet been confirmed in published reports, so no score from today's games is claimed here. What is certain is the schedule, the stakes and the lessons Pakistan carry into both matches.

Why today matters: tiers, not elimination

One of the most important things to understand about this tournament is that nobody goes home after the group stage. Pakistan are in Group AD alongside Gambia, South Sudan, Cyprus, Jordan and Nigeria, and they play five qualification matches in just three days. Those results then place each team into one of six performance tiers for the second phase, played on October 28 and 29, with the tier finals on October 30.

So today is not about survival. It is about placement. Every goal, every point and every performance nudges Pakistan towards a higher tier — and towards stronger opposition in the next phase, which is exactly where a developing team wants to be. A good double-header day can still transform the whole tournament, even after the opening defeat.

The scale of the event underlines that point. A total of 189 FIFA member associations are taking part in Baku, with 78 of them — Pakistan and South Sudan included — appearing in a FIFA World Cup competition for the very first time. Nearly 1,000 matches are scheduled across six matchdays, mostly at the Hovsan Competition Complex, with the opening ceremony and the finals at Baku Crystal Hall. For Pakistan, simply being here is historic. Doing well here would be something else entirely.

What happened against Gambia: a game of two halves

Pakistan could hardly have dreamed of a better start on Saturday. Ameer Hamza opened the scoring in the fifth minute, collecting the ball on the right near the halfway line, driving at the Gambian defence and firing a fierce strike past the goalkeeper. Hamza was involved again in the second goal, winning a tackle that sent the ball towards Baxi Hamal Khan, who drove forward from the left and rifled a superb shot into the top corner.

At 2-0 up, Pakistan were not just winning a football match — they were announcing themselves on a world stage. Gambia, though, pulled a goal back before half-time, and that changed everything. Early in the second half, the ball slipped past Pakistan goalkeeper Shayan Abdul Jabbar Marwat for the equaliser, and from there the African side took control. A swift counter-attack produced a ferocious left-footed strike into the corner to put Gambia ahead, and a curling effort into the top corner completed the 4-2 turnaround.

There were positives even in defeat. Kaleem Ullah tested the Gambian goalkeeper on more than three occasions, and Pakistan gradually regained their composure after the early second-half pressure. The problem was not talent or courage. It was game management: protecting a lead, surviving the opponent's best spell, and not letting one conceded goal become three.

Match one: Pakistan vs South Sudan, 1:45pm PKT

South Sudan arrive in today's first match with a result that should command Pakistan's full respect. On Saturday, the Bright Stars — also making their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance at any level — drew 3-3 with Nigeria in their Group AD opener at the Hovsan Competition Complex. Nigeria, one of the traditional youth football powers in the group, had to come from behind twice to earn that point.

That tells Pakistan two things. First, South Sudan can score goals in this format, and they do not fold when they go behind. Second, the 3-3 draw shows how open and high-scoring eight-a-side football can be: with fewer players on a 68-metre by 47-metre pitch and full-size goals, space appears quickly, transitions happen in seconds, and a two-goal lead is never safe — as Pakistan themselves discovered against Gambia.

The key battle in the early game is therefore likely to be about control rather than flair. Pakistan's best football against Gambia came when Hamza and Baxi were driving at defenders with the ball. If they can do that again while keeping their shape when South Sudan counter, they give themselves a platform. If they chase the game too early, they risk exactly the kind of open, end-to-end contest that suits a confident, free-scoring opponent.

Match two: Pakistan vs Cyprus, 8:30pm PKT

The night match brings a very different test. Cyprus are the European side in Group AD, and European youth teams tend to bring organisation, discipline and patience — the qualities that punish a team that has already played once that day. For Pakistan, the Cyprus game will be as much about recovery as tactics.

The gap between kick-offs is just under seven hours, and the real recovery window is even shorter once warm-ups, cool-downs and travel around the complex are counted. That is where head coach Ihsanullah Khan's squad management becomes crucial. He has only 14 players in Baku — the full squad is Shayan Abdul Jabbar Marwat, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Alam, Maqbool Ahmed, Shahraz Khan, Rameez Riza, Ameer Hamza, Mohammad Mustafa, Ilhan Khan Ali, Bakshi Hamal Khan, Owais Faiz, Zain ul Abideen, Danish Masih and Kaleem Ullah — and rolling substitutions mean he can share the load without weakening the team.

Expect changes between the two games, not as a sign of panic but as the whole point of this format. Fresh legs in the second match, a settled defensive shape, and players who know their roles for 20-minute bursts could be worth more than any single tactical tweak. The players who did not start against South Sudan may well decide the Cyprus game.

Three things Pakistan must fix today

1. Defend the lead better. The Gambia game turned on a five-minute spell after half-time. In a 40-minute match, there is no time to drift. Pakistan need to be at their most concentrated immediately after the break and immediately after scoring — the two moments when young teams most often switch off.

2. Stop the counter. Both Gambia's comeback goals came from quick attacks. With only eight players on the pitch, one lost duel in midfield can leave the defence exposed. Pakistan's midfielders need to foul smartly, delay the break, or simply get back into shape before South Sudan and Cyprus can run at them.

3. Take the chances. Kaleem Ullah's repeated efforts against Gambia showed Pakistan can create openings even when under pressure. Today, those half-chances have to become goals, because in this format the team that finishes better usually wins — and Pakistan cannot rely on scoring twice from open play in every game.

Players to watch

Ameer Hamza is already the story of Pakistan's tournament. His fifth-minute opener against Gambia was a solo run and a fierce finish, and his involvement in the second goal showed he can create as well as score. South Sudan and Cyprus will both plan for him now, which may open space for others.

Baxi Hamal Khan scored the goal of the Gambia game so far — a driving run from the left and a shot into the top corner that left the goalkeeper with no chance. If he gets the ball in similar positions today, Pakistan will always carry a threat.

Kaleem Ullah did not score against Gambia, but his persistence in testing the goalkeeper again and again was one of the encouraging signs of the second half. A goal today would reward that work and lift the whole squad.

Shayan Abdul Jabbar Marwat, the goalkeeper, will be under the spotlight after the second-half goals against Gambia. In small-sided football the goalkeeper is involved constantly — as a shot-stopper, a sweeper and the first attacker. A calm, commanding day from Shayan would settle the team in front of him.

Pakistan's full Group AD schedule

Date	Match	Time (PKT)	Result / status
October 24	Pakistan vs Gambia	3:30pm	Lost 4-2
October 25	Pakistan vs South Sudan	1:45pm	Double-header, day one
October 25	Pakistan vs Cyprus	8:30pm	Double-header, day two
October 26	Pakistan vs Jordan	12:30pm	To come
October 26	Pakistan vs Nigeria	7:15pm	To come

Whatever happens today, the story does not end tonight. Another double-header follows on Monday against Jordan and Nigeria, and then the tier phase gives every team four or five more matches. Pakistan's tournament will be judged over nine or ten games, not one — and that is precisely why today is a chance to reset rather than a verdict.

Also in football today: Premier League Sunday

For Pakistani fans settling in for the evening, the Cyprus match is followed — and in some cases overlapped — by a full Premier League Sunday. The Matchday 8 fixtures still to come are Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United, Hull City vs Brentford, Liverpool vs Brighton and Hove Albion, Manchester United vs AFC Bournemouth, and Sunderland vs Leeds United.

Saturday already delivered plenty of drama: Aston Villa ended Manchester City's perfect start with a 2-1 win, Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 to draw level with City at the top, Tottenham stunned Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, and Fulham won 1-0 at Coventry. Liverpool and Manchester United will both be looking to respond today — and for Pakistan's young players, watching how top professionals handle a big Sunday occasion is its own kind of homework.

The bigger picture

It is worth stepping back from the scores for a moment. Pakistan's 14 players were picked from performances at the National U-17 Championship, after a 21-player training camp in Lahore that began on October 6. They flew from Islamabad to Baku on October 20. Ten days later, they are playing two FIFA matches in a single day.

Win, lose or split the double-header, that journey already matters for Pakistan football. Every minute these players spend against South Sudan, Cyprus, Jordan and Nigeria is a minute no Pakistani team has ever had at a FIFA event before. The results will decide which tier Pakistan enter next week. The experience will shape these players for years.

Today, though, the focus is simpler: recover from Gambia, reset between games, and give two more performances to be proud of. Two matches, one day, one chance to show that the opening 20 minutes against Gambia were not a fluke — they were a warning.

Images are illustrative youth football photographs from Wikimedia Commons (Sandro Halank, CC BY-SA 4.0), not photographs of today's matches in Baku. Sources: Geo Super, WE News English, Daily Metro Time, AsiaOne, PPA Islamabad, Pakistan TV, Complete Sports and FIFA.