With the conclusion of 1st matchday of group G in round 2 for joint qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Pakistan and Tajikistan faced different fates. The Shaheens faced a 4-0 loss to World Cup regulars Saudi Arabia while Tajikistan drew 1-1 with a focused Jordanian side after late drama in Tajikistan Central Stadium. Now, the battlefield of Jinnah Stadium Islamabad awaits the clash, Pakistan vs Tajikistan, on November 21 at 2:00 pm local time.
The home fans are getting excited about this highly hyped clash and are expected to turn out in huge numbers, but very few people know the fact that this competitive match will be the 4th brick in the underrated wall of Šegrt-Constantine rivalry.
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Initial Clash
The 1st meeting between Stephen Constantine and Petar Šegrt took place on January 3, 2016, in front of 40,500 spectators with the occasion being the SAFF Championship final. The 61-year-old Englishman was the head coach of India while the Croatian used to lead Afghanistan at that point and time. The suspenseful game went to AET (Additional Extra Time) in which Indian legend Sunil Chhetri sealed the win for his country.
Recent Chapters
After around a break of 3 years, the 2 veterans met again on September 9, 2018, in the group stage of the SAFF Championship. By then, 57-year-old Šegrt had switched his allegiance to the Maldives football team. This match also went in the favor of the current head coach of Pakistan who had selected an under-23 Indian side for the tournament.
A week later, Constantine faced Šegrt in another competitive tie which was the final of the 2018 SAFF Championship. India went into the final as favourites, but the Croatian-led side became a hard nut to crack for the South Asian giants. Ironically, the current head coach of Tajikistan won the finale by 2-1 which also became the scoreline of the Šegrt-Constantine rivalry.
Renewal
Now, more than 5 years later, another contest between the 2 managers, who are climatized to South Asian football, is scheduled to take place in a few days. Petar Šegrt will surely try to equalize his record with Stephen Constantine, but the energetic crowd of Jinnah Stadium stands in the way. This makes the Pakistan vs Tajikistan, a contest to watch out for.
Conclusion
Pakistan vs Tajikistan is just a few hours away now. Let’s see who comes out on top in this battle between the two nations and the battle between the two coach rivals.
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