Pakistan’s hopes of reviving their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign suffered a frustrating blow as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Afghanistan at Jinnah Stadium.
Despite creating the better chances, the home side were left to rue missed opportunities, with Otis Khan’s penalty miss in the second half emerging as the biggest talking point.
Head coach Nolberto Solano made several tactical adjustments to his starting lineup, once again opting for a back-five, with captain Abdullah Iqbal marshalling the defence. Eitizaz Hussain and Ahmad Faraz Gulzari were also handed their international caps as Pakistan looked to capitalise on home conditions.
From the start, the game was an exhibition of contrasting styles, Afghanistan looked to build slowly, while Pakistan aimed to hit on the counter. The dynamic shifted in the second half with the introduction of Kaleemullah and McKeal Abdullah, as Pakistan began creating more threatening opportunities. Their best chance came in the 65th minute when Ahmad Faraz Gulzari was tripped in the opposition box, but Otis Khan blasted the resulting penalty over the bar.
Pakistan’s final opportunity came in the closing stages, but Ovays Azizi managed to keep out Gulzari’s effort to preserve the scoreline.
The result ends Pakistan’s eight-game losing streak but leaves them bottom of Group E in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers with just one point. Afghanistan sits third, while Myanmar and Syria remain well ahead of both sides.
Despite the disappointment of the draw, there were positives for Solano’s men, who have shown they can perform, provided the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) offers better preparation time in future. Pakistan and Afghanistan will resume their qualification quest for the AFC Asian Cup on October 14 in the reverse fixture in Afghanistan.
