Islamabad saw the Saudis coming in for a historic first-ever visit to Pakistan for the fifth game of the World Cup Qualifying group stages. Roberto Mancini’s men convincingly saw off a comfortable 3-0 win against the Pakistan football team in Jinnah Stadium. Pakistan came into the game as heavy underdogs amid a host of Saudi stars on a beautiful Islamabad evening but were unable to register anything against a dominant Saudi side.
The Set Up by Pakistan Football Team
Stephen Constantine surprised everyone with a change in formation from his usual setup of 4-4-2 to play a three-man defence at the back, starting with Mamoon, Haseeb, and Abdullah Iqbal alongside Fazal and Umer Rao as wingbacks.
Yousaf Butt started between the sticks while debutant Umair Ali started with Rahis Nabi and Otis Khan in a compact midfield. Fareedullah, back from his injury partnered up again with Adeel Younis upfront.
Pakistan’s Defensive Grit
Pakistan started the match in nervy fashion but held on to a barrage of Saudi attacks consisting of Salem-al-Dawsari and Feras Albrikan. It wasn’t until the 26th minute that Pakistan’s defence was unlocked and Fera Albrikan slotted a goal just inside the box to give the Saudis a 1-0 lead. Feras Albrikan capitalized on a defensive miscommunication by Abdullah Iqbal and Yousaf Butt when he headed in his second of the night.
Pakistan were all fighting for their lives in the midfield while unable to get hold of any of the balls in the midfield. Mukhtar Ali led the Saudi midfield with ease creating chances at will. Pakistan was unable to control much of the game in transitions as there was little to look forward to in terms of men for the ball. However, Pakistan kept a decent shape at the back to keep the Green Falcons at bay. Eventually, Musab Aljuwaye scored the third in the 59th minute to complete the scoreline for the visitors.
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Pakistan can be proud of the decent scoreline and a better defensive performance than their previous outing against Jordan in Amman. Despite starting a relatively unfamiliar defensive shape and a lack of regular football for the local players, Pakistan held its ground to a decent score. The Pakistan football team saw little action in the opposition half, seeing only 15% of the possession.
The Saudis racked up 16 shots with 7 on target while Pakistan was able to register only two with none of them on target. Imran Kayani got a chance at the end of the game to go onto the goal but shot wide from inside the box.
McKeal Abdullah came in the dying minutes for his much-anticipated debut in front of the home crowd but didn’t see much action.16-year-old Abdur Rehman also came for his debut in place of Muhammad Fazal who had a decent game at left-back.
The Verdict
Pakistan missed the services of midfielder Alamgir Ghazi and their captain Easah Suliman at the back. Easah’s calmness was missed and communication was a key factor missing in the defensive line. However, Pakistan can hold its head high and be proud of its progress. The crowd stayed with the team from the first minute and was amazing throughout the game to cheer everything. Pakistan needs to regroup, gather the positives from this game, and go into the final qualifying game in Dushanbe against Tajikistan to end the group stages on a positive and prepare for the games ahead.
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