This marks Pakistan's first appearance in the second round of the Asian Qualifiers.
RIYADH: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Nov 17th, 2023) Saudi Arabia secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Pakistan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at Al-Fateh Stadium in Al-Ahsa.
The absence of injured defender and captain Eash Suliman weakened Pakistan's defense, allowing Saudi Arabia to maintain significant possession.
Despite a resilient first-half performance by Pakistan, they couldn't hold off Saudi Arabia, who dominated the second half with goals from Saleh Al-Shahri (6th and 48th minutes), Abdul Rahman Ghareeb (91st minute), and Abdullah Radif (96th minute).
Reflecting their FIFA rankings (Saudi Arabia at 57 and Pakistan at 193), the anticipated outcome unfolded with Saudi Arabia emerging as the expected victors.
The teams last met in 1978, resulting in a 6-0 loss for Pakistan on Saudi Arabia's home ground.
In the same group, Jordan and Tajikistan join Pakistan, with future matches determining advancement to the third round of qualifiers. As the host nation of the 2027 Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia has already secured qualification.
Pakistan's next match is against Tajikistan in Islamabad on November 21, with additional qualification matches scheduled for March and June next year. The top two teams from the group will progress to the third round, while the bottom two teams will enter the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
This marks Pakistan's first appearance in the second round of the Asian Qualifiers.
