The 2007 goalless draw against Iraq, the then-AFC Asian Cup Champions, was Pakistan football supporters’ finest FIFA World Cup qualifier memory till a month ago. Who knows whether Pakistan could have won if the referee had sided with them following a robust penalty shout in the dying minutes.
Pakistan’s first FIFA World Cup Qualifier triumph seemed to take forever over the years. Pakistan won its first FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Cambodia last month at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad in front of their home crowd, ending the 34-year curse.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
Pakistan has always had a complicated relationship with football, whether it’s the toxic discourse over local and diaspora players, lack of facilities, or the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), which has been in the news for warring factions, constitutional violations, financial irregularities, and FIFA bans. A FIFA-mandated Normalisation Committee, created in September 2019, oversees PFF and holds elections until March 2020.
The chaos has hurt the players the most, as many saw their careers deteriorate owing to the lack of football in the country, while others quit the game to make ends meet due to financial uncertainty. This is why the win over Cambodia was a huge success for the current squad and for the fans and players who have supported Pakistan for a decade.
The 2007 goalless draw against Iraq, the then-AFC Asian Cup Champions, was Pakistan football supporters’ finest FIFA World Cup qualifier memory till a month ago. Who knows whether Pakistan could have won if the referee had sided with them following a robust penalty shout in the dying minutes.
Pakistan’s first FIFA World Cup Qualifier triumph seemed to take forever over the years. Pakistan won its first FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Cambodia last month at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad in front of their home crowd, ending the 34-year curse.
Pakistan has always had a complicated relationship with football, whether it’s the toxic discourse over local and diaspora players, lack of facilities, or the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), which has been in the news for warring factions, constitutional violations, financial irregularities, and FIFA bans.
This is why the win over Cambodia was a huge success for the current squad and for the fans and players who have supported Pakistan for a decade.
Expectations curb
The 193-ranked Pakistan must keep their expectations in check because the win over Cambodia doesn’t mean they can compete with Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Jordan in the second round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, where they are the lowest-ranked team of 36.
PFF surprisingly prioritised AFC U23 Qualifiers over international friendlies, changed the coach at the 11th hour, replaced Shahzad Anwar with Stephen Constantine, and delayed payments to players and team management before the Cambodia game, which could have hurt the Green Shirts. Now in the second round, Pakistan could use the forthcoming matches to acquire experience and exposure by playing top-tier teams ranked higher in FIFA.
A FIFA-mandated Normalisation Committee, created in September 2019, oversees PFF and holds elections until March 2020. The chaos has hurt the players the most, as many saw their careers deteriorate owing to the lack of football in the country, while others quit the game to make ends meet due to financial uncertainty.
