Pakistan men’s football team head coach, Stephen Constantine attended a press conference ahead of the match versus Saudi Arabia in the 2nd round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Constantine said that the national side had a good week-long training camp in Islamabad before they traveled to Saudi Arabia.
He acknowledged the Saudi side by saying, “We are facing an experienced team in the shape of Saudi Arabia. We seek to leave a positive impact in the qualifiers.”
Constantine had made it clear in his presser in Islamabad that his goal is to qualify for the Asian Cup because the country lacks the facilities to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The British coach conveyed to his team that this is the perfect opportunity to perform against a world-beating team which can result in local players getting professional contracts overseas.
Pakistani players have to play well against Saudi Arabia and when they do well then definitely they may get offers from professional clubs but it’s a great honor to represent one’s country first.
Saudi Arabia’s head coach, Roberto Mancini, said, “It’s the first game for us. We want to play a good game. We are ready and know that the first game is always difficult.”
Mancini has a rich coaching history. He won the UEFA European Championship (EUROS) with Italy, while in club football, he has won many laurels for Manchester City, Inter Milan, Lazio, etc. He was the head coach of Manchester City when Argentine striker Sergio Aguero scored a dying-minute winner against QPR to win the 2011/12 English Premier League title.