The highly anticipated AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifier match between Pakistan and Afghanistan ended in a stalemate at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on Thursday.
The Green Shirts began the game with intensity, mounting regular attacks, but were unable to breach Afghanistan’s resilient defence in the first half.
Afghanistan’s solid defensive setup successfully kept Pakistan from converting their chances.
Pakistan had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 67th minute when they were awarded a penalty. However, Otis Khan failed to capitalise, leaving the scoreline unchanged.
Despite the disappointment over missed opportunities, fans applauded both teams for their spirited display in a hard-fought draw.
Pakistan’s campaign in Group E has had a challenging start, having suffered consecutive defeats against Syria and Myanmar.
In their opening match on March 25, Pakistan went down 2-0 to Syria at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium in Saudi Arabia.
Defender Ahmad Faqa opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, assisted by Amar Ramadan, and captain Omar Alsoma doubled the lead in the 56th minute.
Despite a resilient defensive effort, the men in green could not contain the experienced Syrian side.
The green shirts’ second match saw them lose 1-0 to Myanmar at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon on June 10.
Than Paing’s precise free-kick in the 42nd minute proved decisive, as Pakistan struggled to find an equaliser despite late efforts, adopting a largely defensive approach against Myanmar’s possession dominance.
Following back-to-back defeats and the draw against Afghanistan, Pakistan will now travel to Kuwait for their next Group E fixture against the same opponents on October 14.
The top team from each group will earn a place in the AFC Asian Cup 2027, set to be held in Saudi Arabia.
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