Istafa Ali
Pakistan men’s national football team won the second leg of the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match. Pakistan beat Cambodia in Jinnah Stadium Islamabad by a minimal margin of 1 goal to 0. The aggregate score was 1-0 in a fever of Pakistan. The first leg was played in Cambodia which ended in a goalless draw.
Pakistan, which is ranked 197th in the FIFA rankings, this was their first win since 2018. Pakistan joins Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tajikistan in Group G of Asian Qualifying, which starts next month.
The match was played on Tuesday in Jinnah Stadium Islamabad. The match kicked off at 02:00 PM, the conditions were cloudy and it was raining all day before the match started. Both teams were coming after a goalless draw in the first leg.
The match was attended by thousands of people in the stadium. Though the match was played on a weekday, seeing people in big numbers to support the Pakistan team is a great encouragement for the sport in the country.
It was a very open and attacking game right from the kickoff. Pakistani coach, Stephen Constantine who was appointed just before the first leg against Cambodia had changed the Pakistani team’s playing style immensely.
The attacking mindset of Pakistan got them on the front foot. The Cambodian team also threatened the Pakistani goal a few times, but the Pakistani defense was good enough to deal with the Cambodian attacks.
The first half ended with no goals. Eventually, the deadlock was broken in the 69th minute of the match when Haroon Hameed hit a beautiful volley, the ball rolled into the right bottom corner of the Cambodian goal to make the score 1-0 for Pakistan.
This was a great and historic moment in the history of Pakistani football as this goal proved to be the goal that helped Pakistan to qualify to the second round of qualifying round for the first time in history.
In the last 15 minutes, Cambodia attacked several times but the Pakistani defense dealt with all the danger. The final whistle after 90 minutes and 4 minutes of injury time was an emotional moment for Pakistani football fans.
After the match Pakistani team celebrated the victory with the fans and in the dressing room. This win means a lot for the overall development of football.
