Pakistan National Football Team is set to face Syria in Match Day 5 of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. The match is to be held at Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad on 18th of November. 2:00 pm is the starting time of the match. Syria has all but qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. They just need 1 point from the last 2 games to officially qualify for the Asia Cup. Pakistan on the other hand have no chance of qualifying for the Asia Cup and now are just playing for pride and honor.
Pakistan may be out of the qualifying but their performance in the last 2 games has improved a lot. Nolberto Solano took the reins from Stephan Constantine back in October and has had 2 games drawn. A miracle as Pakistan was on a losing streak which stretched back to November 2023. Pakistan also scored their first ever goal in this qualifier last month against Afghanistan.
Squads Overview
Both Pakistan and Syria have announced their squads. Pakistan squad is not final as some changes might be made before the match.
Syria Squad
Head Coach José Lana announced the squad featuring Ahmed Madaniya, Shahir Al-Shakir, Maksim Sirok, Khaled Al-Hajji, Alan Owsie, Abdul Razzaq Mohammed, Abdullah Al-Shami, Adham Ghandoor, Ahmed Al-Ashqar, Zakariya Hanan, and Khaled Kardawghli as part of the main lineup.
The extended list also includes Mohammad Anz, Mahmoud Al-Nayef, Anas Dahhan, Ammar Ramadan, Mohammad Malekhi, Mahmoud Al-Aswad, Mahmoud Al-Mawas, Mohammad Al-Halaq, Hassan Dahhan, Alaa Al-Din Dali, and Yaseen Al-Samaia, completing the squad selected for the upcoming match.
Many of the key players of the Syrian National Football Team are missing from the squad as the coach decided to give chance to the young blood. Omar Khirbin, Omar Al Somah, Elmar Abraham, Pablo Sabbag, Ahmad Faqa, Elias Hadaya, Mohammed Osman, Ahmed Al Dali and Omar Al Midani are not in the final squad.
All of these players have played a huge part in Syria’s success in these AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. This approach from the Head Coach José Lana tells us that he is not only looking at the present but also for the future as many of these young players will play a huge role in Syria’s footballing journey in the future.
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Pakistan Squad
Head Coach announced a diverse and experienced squad featuring Hassan Ali (Fame FC), Adam Khan (Blackburn Rovers U21), and Usman Ali (PoPo FC) as the goalkeeping options. The defensive lineup includes Saeed Khan (Kozak FC Chaman), Khurshid Alam (Aino FC Kandahar), Abdullah Iqbal (Mjällby AIF), Waqar Ihtisham (Khan Research Laboratories FC), Mohib Ullah (Karachi United), Abdullah Shah (WAPDA FC), Sardar Wali (Pak Afghan Clearing FC), and Junaid Shah (SA Gardens FC). No Mohammad Fazal in the squad has raised some eyebrows as well.
In midfield, the team will rely on Ali Uzair (PoPo FC), Mohammad Hayan Khattak (PoPo FC), Etzaz Hussain (Odds BK), Alamgir Ghazi (Thimphu City FC), Rahis Nabi (Halesowen Town), Adil Nabi (Without Club), and Tufail Shinwari (Karachi United).
The attacking options include wingers Haris Zeb (Auckland City FC), Otis Khan (Kelantan Red Warrior FC), Shayak Dost (Adalat Farah FC), Ahmed Faraz Gulzari (Melbourne City FC U21), Abdul Arshad (Brönshöj Boldklub), and Moin Ahmed (Khan Research Laboratories FC). Up front, the coach has selected Kaleemullah Khan (Without Club) alongside Umar Nawaz (Wrexham) to lead the attack. This squad is not final as some changes will still be made before the game.
Adil Nabi may not be able to play as he was reported injured. He pulled up his hamstring during the training session which will keep him out of the match against Syria. Adil Nabi will be missed as fans were anticipating his debut for the Pakistan National Team. He is the older brother of Rahis Nabi. Adil Nabi has played most of his football in the UK, playing for clubs like West Bromwich Albion FC, Dundee FC, Peterborough FC, Nuneaton FC. He also played for ISL club Delhi Dynamos in the inaugural season of the league.
He has played for several clubs away from the UK during his career, beginning with OFI Crete FC in Greece before moving to Atromitos, also in the Greek league. Later joined Kallithea, continuing his spell in Greece, and most recently represented Doxa Katokopias in Cyprus. After this he is unable to find a club for himself.
Game Tactics of Syria
Syria is known for its attacking football. Their Head Coach preferred formation is 4-3-3 Attacking. Syria went with a 4-4-2 formation in their last game against Myanmar. Before this match he went with a 4-3-3 formation which tells us that the Coach is not afraid of changing tactics based on the opposing team. When Syria faced Pakistan this year in March he went with a 4-4-2 formation with two strong strikers upfront in Omar Al Somah and Omar Khirbin.
Based on the data available we will definitely see a 4-4-2 formation which could change to 4-3-3 based on the situation as Syria would want to attack from the wide areas. Long balls will definitely be seen from the wingers and the fullbacks of the Syrian National Team in this match. Although many of the first team players are not part of this squad, the young ones also have a chance to make a name for themselves and get in contention for selection in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 squad.
Game Tactics of Pakistan
Previously Pakistan was known for long balls over the head of the defenders of opposing teams under Stephan Constantine. Under Nolberto Solano this has changed. Pakistan is now trying to play a more controlled, short passing game. Pakistan has players for this as well. Etzaz Hussain is the most experienced player of all with 4 Norwegian League Titles and 3 Norwegian Cup titles. Since his debut last month against Afghanistan at Jinnah Stadium he has improved his club form as well. He is the only goalscorer for Pakistan in these AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Nolberto Solano preferred formation is 3-5-2 Flat but for Pakistan he has used 5-3-2 and 4-3-3 in the last 2 matches against Afghanistan. Pakistan will probably go with 5-3-2 in the beginning as it gives Pakistan more defensive compactibility. In the second half for counter attacking Pakistan can go to 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. This gives Pakistan more attacking options upfront and in the middle of the pitch. Whoever controls the midfield will control the tempo of the game.
Conclusion
For Syria, this game is a dead rubber as even if they lose it will have minimal effect on their qualification scenario. For them it is a testing game for young players. They are giving their young players a chance to plan for the future. On the other hand, Pakistan also has nothing to lose from this game. They have everything to gain as they are also building the team for the future. Pakistan may not qualify for the AFC Asian Cup but these matches will help Pakistan build a team for the future.
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