PHNOM PENH: Pakistan faced hosts Cambodia in their second group game on the 6th of September. The match took place at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh. Cambodia beat Pakistan 1-0, with a goal from Devit Yem in the 31st minute.
Match Analysis
The match began at 17:00, with Pakistan playing with five at the back. Hayyaan Khattak made sure to make his presence known, playing as an attacking midfielder and occasionally creating key chances. Pakistan kept building momentum, pressing the Cambodian team. Unfortunately, due to injuries after the 20th minute, with a five-minute stoppage, Pakistan lost their momentum and eventually conceded in the 31st minute due to an error by the step-in captain Junaid Shah. Going into half-time, the score remained 0-1. Gohar Zaman, who was in charge of the team after Nolberto Solano’s suspension, made changes, taking off Ahmed Salman and Abdul Rehman. The midfield started creating chances again, but Adeel Younus failed to score on countless occasions. With growing frustration among the Pakistani team, Cambodia started to heavily press the Shaheens, forcing them to play long balls. The Cambodian defence played a key role in their win, making crucial clearances from set pieces. Pakistan kept 46% of possession, with 13 shots taken and only 3 on target. The wingers failed to create opportunities for the strikers up front, despite being in good positions several times. It is without a doubt that the team missed the services of Haseeb and Mohib. The performances also raise questions about the selection for this competition, with MNT player Abdul Samad Arshad not being called up.
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Next Match
With Nolberto Solano and Mohib Afridi’s suspensions ending, both will be back for the final game of the group. It is still unclear whether Captain Haseeb Khan will feature against Oman after his rib injury in the first game. Oman sits third in Group G, having lost 1-0 to Iraq and drawn with Cambodia. Oman will be hoping for a big win against Pakistan to keep their U23 Asian Cup hopes alive.
Shaky Start for Solano
Solano had to begin his Pakistan journey with an unfortunate series of events in his debut match. However, under Solano, Pakistan showed promising football against Iraq until the chaos in the second half. With a match against Oman remaining, Solano will be hoping to continue the promising football displayed, building up to the senior team matches against Afghanistan.
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