PHNOM PENH: On the opening day of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, Pakistan faced Iraq in Group G at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match marked Nolberto Solano’s first game in charge, but it ended in disappointment as Pakistan suffered a crushing 8-1 defeat.
Early Challenges
Hayyaan Khattak received an early yellow card. In the 29th minute, Iraq was awarded a penalty after Mohib Afridi was shown a red card, ruling him out of the upcoming clash against Cambodia. Amoori Faisal converted the penalty to give Iraq the lead. At half-time, Solano was shown a red card.
Eventful Second Half
Ali Jasim struck early in the second half to make it 2-0. In the 64th minute, Mckeal Abdullah won and converted a penalty, pulling one back for Pakistan and marking his first-ever goal for the national team. However, Iraq responded immediately, just three minutes later, Ali Jasim scored again to restore their two-goal advantage.
Pakistan’s captain, Haseeb Khan, was forced off due to injury shortly after. Iraq then piled on the pressure: Jasim completed his hat-trick in the 72nd minute, Ahmed Aiad added a fifth in the 77th, Al-Imari made it six, and Ali Sadiq extended the lead to 7-1 in the 85th minute.
Six minutes of stoppage time were added, and Iraq continued their domination with their eighth goal in the 94th minute.
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Positives from the Game
Despite the heavy scoreline, Pakistan can take some positives from the performance. Goalkeeper Adam Khan made several crucial saves and stood out despite conceding eight goals. In attack, Pakistan created more chances than in recent outings. The first half also showed that under Solano, Pakistan could play a 4-3-3 system rather than their usual defensive five-at-the-back formation. POPO midfielder Hayyaan Khattak also impressed with his control in midfield.
Remaining Matches
With Mohib Afridi suspended and Haseeb Khan likely to miss out through injury, Pakistan face more challenges ahead. Their next match is against hosts Cambodia on 6 September.
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