The much-awaited AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifying match between Pakistan and Afghanistan ended in a stalemate at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on Thursday.
The Green Shirts started the match intensely, launching regular attacks, but were unable to break Afghanistan’s resilient defense in the first half.
Afghanistan’s solid defensive posture successfully prevented Pakistan from taking advantage of its opportunities.
Pakistan had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 67th minute when they were awarded a penalty. However, Otis Khan failed to capitalize, leaving the score unchanged.
Despite the disappointment of missed chances, fans applauded both teams for their spirited performances in a hard-fought draw.
Pakistan’s campaign in Group E got off to a challenging start after back-to-back defeats against Syria and Myanmar.
In their opening match on March 25, Pakistan lost 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 were unable to contain the experienced Syrian side.
In the green shirts’ second match, they lost 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 equalizer despite late efforts and adopted a largely defensive approach against Myanmar’s dominance of the ball.
After back-to-back defeats and the draw against Afghanistan, Pakistan now travel to Kuwait for their next Group E match against the same opponents on October 14.
The best team from each group will earn a place in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.
