Pakistan U15 Thrash Cook Islands 7-1 to Reach Tier F Final
The Pakistan U15 Cook Islands match ended in a 7-1 win for the Green Shirts in Baku on Thursday night, booking Pakistan a place in the Tier F final of the FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival 2026.
Pakistan played the match at Pitch 3A of the Hovsan Competition Complex. They will now face Djibouti in the Tier F final on Friday, with the match set to kick off at 1:45pm Pakistan Standard Time.
Pakistan U15 Cook Islands: how the goals came
Pakistan made a fast start. Ilhan opened the scoring in the second minute, and Alam doubled the lead in the 11th minute. Kaleem Ullah then struck twice in quick succession, scoring in the 12th and 15th minutes to put Pakistan four goals clear.
Danish Masih added a fifth goal in the 27th minute, leaving Pakistan 5-0 ahead at half-time. The scoring continued after the break, with Bakshi finding the net in the 37th minute and Zain-ul-Abideen completing the seven-goal haul in the 39th minute. The Cook Islands scored a consolation goal, but Pakistan closed out a clear 7-1 win.
| Scorer | Minute |
|---|---|
| Ilhan | 2nd |
| Alam | 11th |
| Kaleem Ullah | 12th |
| Kaleem Ullah | 15th |
| Danish Masih | 27th |
| Bakshi | 37th |
| Zain-ul-Abideen | 39th |
Kaleem Ullah has scored in five of Pakistan’s last six matches at the tournament. He scored once against Jordan and once against Nigeria, four against Tonga, two against the Bahamas and two against the Cook Islands, a tally of 10 goals across those matches. The only match in that run in which he did not score was the goalless draw with Nepal, which Pakistan lost on penalties.
A turnaround after a hard start
The win capped a sharp turnaround in Pakistan’s campaign. The young side opened the tournament with a 4-2 defeat against Gambia on October 24, then lost 1-0 to South Sudan and 4-0 to Cyprus the next day.
Pakistan steadied with consecutive 1-1 draws against Jordan and Nigeria, with Kaleem Ullah scoring in both matches. Their first win came against Tonga, a 6-1 victory in which Kaleem Ullah scored four goals, before a penalty shoot-out defeat to Nepal after a goalless draw.
The Green Shirts then beat the Bahamas 5-0, and the 7-1 win over the Cook Islands gave them a second win in a row and a place in the Tier F final. From five matches without a win at the start, Pakistan have now won three of their last four outings in Baku, counting the shoot-out loss to Nepal as a draw in open play.
What the Tier F final means for Pakistan
This is Pakistan’s first appearance at a FIFA World Cup event, and the run to a tier final gives the trip a clear result to show for it. Head coach Ihsanullah Khan named a 14-member squad for the tournament, which runs in Baku from October 22 to October 31 and brings together 189 national associations.
Teams at the festival play in six performance tiers, with sides placed into tiers after the group stage. Pakistan’s place in the Tier F final reflects the progress of the second half of their campaign, after the early defeats left them chasing results.
The campaign also builds on the early coverage of the squad, which named the 14 players picked for Baku, and the opening 4-2 loss to Gambia that set the tone for a testing first week.
What happens next
Pakistan face Djibouti in the Tier F final on Friday at 1:45pm Pakistan Standard Time. A win would end the campaign on a high and give the squad a trophy to take home from their first FIFA event.
The final is the last match of Pakistan’s schedule in Baku. For a side that started with three defeats, reaching a final marks a strong finish, whatever the result against Djibouti.
Source: Geo Super
When is the Pakistan U15 Tier F final?
Pakistan face Djibouti in the Tier F final on Friday, October 30, at 1:45pm Pakistan Standard Time.
Who scored for Pakistan against the Cook Islands?
Ilhan, Alam, Kaleem Ullah (twice), Danish Masih, Bakshi and Zain-ul-Abideen scored in the 7-1 win.
