For her stunning free-kick equalizer that gave Pakistan a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday, Maria Khan, the captain of the national team, received a barrage of acclaim on Pakistani Twitter.
Grand daughter of Hashim Khan and wont do wonders? Maria Jamila Khan for you!!! 🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/PBy6lmC6zP
— Noorena Shams (@noorenashams) January 20, 2023
In the Women’s International Friendly Tournament on Thursday, Pakistan came in second place. The four-nation competition, which included Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, and Comoros, was held there. Saudi Arabia won the competition by going unbeaten, and following the draw, Pakistan, who finished in second place, was named the competition’s runner-up. Pakistan began the competition strong, defeating Comoros 1-0 on January 11, but then suffered a 2-1 loss to Comoros and a 1-1 tie on Thursday with Saudi Arabia.
Albandari Mubarak scored the game’s first goal in the 29th minute to give Saudi Arabia a 1-1 tie in Thursday’s contest. Pakistan was behind 1-0 at the end of the first half to Saudi Arabia. Khan outdid the Saudi goalkeeper, though, by netting a goal from a free kick that was taken from a great distance in the 65th minute of the second half. Several people praised Khan’s football talents and congratulated the Pakistani captain after the free kick video clip went popular on social media. Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, praised Khan’s goal as “amazing” on Twitter while congratulating Saudi Arabia on winning the competition. In Pakistan, football and women’s sports are being promoted, he continued, and “we are working on a policy to do that.”
Congratulations to Saudi Arabia for winning this tournament and proud of our Women’s National Team 🇵🇰 finishing 2nd. Special congratulations to Maria Khan for scoring this spectacular goal. We are working on policy to promote football and women’s sports in Pakistan https://t.co/3QKcgIT4WC
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 20, 2023
Khan’s “crazy” free kick that tied the game with Saudi Arabia was met with applause from the audience, according to Football Pakistan.
Crowd view of Maria Khan's insane freekick equaliser for Pakistan against Saudi Arabia.pic.twitter.com/cGfzXAGL3a
— FootballPakistan.com (@FootballPak) January 19, 2023
The goal was dubbed “amazing” by former Pakistani cricketer and broadcaster Urooj Mumtaz.
Spectacular from Maria Khan!
Pakistan Women’s Football❤️#PakistanFootball https://t.co/JibjtlMcwY— Urooj Mumtaz Khan (@uroojmumtazkhan) January 20, 2023
Khan also received appreciation from professional squash player Noorena Shams. On Twitter, she penned “Maria Jamila Khan for you!!!” and posted the free kick video as well.
Grand daughter of Hashim Khan and wont do wonders? Maria Jamila Khan for you!!! 🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/PBy6lmC6zP
— Noorena Shams (@noorenashams) January 20, 2023
She was referred to as the “new GOAT (greatest of all time) in women’s football by Babar Khan Niazi.
Maria Khan 🇵🇰 new #GOAT𓃵 in Football women world .
What a goalpic.twitter.com/LyFS9IMv7V— Babar khan Niazi (@Babarniazi777) January 20, 2023
Rashid Latif, a former wicketkeeper and ex-captain of Pakistan’s cricket team, tweeted the video of Khan’s goal on Twitter as well.
Pakistan Women's Team Captain Maria Khan scores directly from a free kick to equalize the match against Saudia Arabia – Pakistan finished runners up in the 4 nation tournament. pic.twitter.com/DZewbMo6D6
— Rashid Latif | 🇵🇰 (@iRashidLatif68) January 20, 2023
On Friday afternoon, Khan and her colleagues returned to Pakistan. She is the niece of Jahangir Khan, possibly the best squash player ever to come out of Pakistan, and the granddaughter of squash hero Hashim Khan from the same country.
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