On the 29th of May, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) drew the groups for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers. The U23 Asian Cup will take place in 2026 in Saudi Arabia, and the qualifiers are set to be played from the 3rd to the 9th of September in different countries simultaneously. Pakistan has been drawn against Iraq, Oman, and Cambodia in Group G.
The inaugural AFC U22 Asian Cup Qualifiers were held in 2012 as a qualification tournament for the 2013 U22 Asian Championship. The event has been held every 2 years since 2013, and after the 2028 edition, it will be held quadrennially. The U23 Asian Cup serves as an Asian qualifier for the Olympics, with 3 direct slots up for grabs and 1 inter-confederation playoff spot. A total of 44 nations, divided into 11 groups, are competing for 15 spots, as the hosts automatically qualify for the event. The 11 group winners qualify directly for the tournament, whilst 4 nations, who are the top 4 runners-up of the groups, also qualify for the event. The AFC has made it clear that all players who were born on or after 1 January 2003 are eligible for the tournament.
Recently, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) conducted its long-overdue elections on the 27th of May and is under the new leadership of Mohsen Gilani. The fans will surely be hoping to move on from the decade of instability. In addition, the squad will be eager to show their growth to the footballing world under their new leadership. The team will play their opening game against Iraq on the 3rd of September, followed by a clash against the hosts, Cambodia, on the 6th, and will conclude their campaign with a game against Oman on the 9th.
Group Analysis
Group G features The Lions of Mesopotamia. Iraq is known to be a strong opponent, having won the U23 Asian Cup in 2013 and finishing in third place in the 2016 and 2024 editions. Iraq is known to be the powerhouse of Asian youth football, especially in the Middle Eastern region. They have also been victorious in the WAFF U23 Championship, having won it in 2023. Iraq, in terms of FIFA men’s senior team ranking, is the highest-ranked team, being 59th. They are the favorites of the group and are expected to top the group. Oman hasn’t featured at the U23 Asian Cup since 2018 and will seek to change that record. Ranked 77th in the FIFA men’s senior team ranking, Oman will certainly look to challenge Iraq to seal their ticket to Saudi Arabia. They are currently coached by Badar Al-Maimani, who led them to the WAFF U23 Championship earlier in March this year. Oman, also known as Samba Al-Khaleej, will hope to capitalize on their growing domestic structure. The Cambodian side has an upper hand on the other teams with their home advantage. The Koupreys, led by Japanese coach Koji Gyotoku, haven’t achieved major success in tournaments but have shown promising improvement in their recent performances. Their best result at the SEA Games was a semi-finals appearance in 2023, falling short of a medal.
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Potential Squad
Turning our attention towards the squad that could feature. The fans have set their eyes on players that could potentially represent the team in September. The Men in Green were led by Shahzad Anwar the last time around. However, the PFF, as of yet, hasn’t announced who will lead the team. Keeping the eligibility rules in mind, a couple of players from the senior team are eligible. Fan favorite Harun Hamid, who scored the winning goal against Cambodia in October 2023 in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, also represented the team in the previous edition and scored against Palestine, and will look to return to the side. Key diaspora players such as: Rayyan Mohammed, Mckeal Abdullah, Adam Khan, Ali Shah, Abdul Samad Arshad, and many more are also interested in representing the country. Some notable local talents, namely the star of the 2023 SAFF Championship Ali Zafar, senior team centre-back Mohammad Saddam, the teenage sensation Abdul Rehman, Junaid Shah, Adeel Younus, and many others are hoping to feature. With a very talented pool of players, Pakistan will surely look to impress and get a better result than their 2023 Bahrain outing.
Past Performance
Pakistan U23 have appeared in the U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers thrice, first appearing in 2013 and finishing dead last in their group. This was followed by their next appearance at the 2015 edition. Pakistan beat Kyrgyzstan 3-1 and unfortunately has failed to register another win since then. They didn’t feature in the 2018 edition, and they withdrew from the 2020 Qualifiers after it was drawn, amidst tensions with India. In 2021, the Federation was suspended and therefore the team didn’t compete in the 2022 Asian Cup Qualifiers. The Federation’s suspension was lifted in 2022. Pakistan’s latest appearance at the event was in the 2024 U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, held in Bahrain. They featured in Group D against Japan, Bahrain, and Palestine. Pakistan faced Japan and were hammered 6-0 in their opening game. The Shaheens then faced the hosts, Bahrain, and lost 3-1, with a spectacular goal from Alamgir Ghazi striking from the other half of the pitch in the 70th minute. In their final game of the group, they faced Palestine. Harun Hamid scored in the 51st minute and Pakistan were 1-0 up until the 90th minute, when Khaled Al-Nabris equalized for Palestine in the 100th minute. Al-Nabris scored his second in the 105th minute to seal the victory for Palestine. Pakistan ended their campaign losing all 3 games and finishing rock bottom of the group. The U23 Shaheens have won the South Asian Games twice in the past, in 2004 and 2006. They have featured at 5 editions of the Asian Games, with a best finish of 17th in 2018.
Importance
Many consider U23 football to be the final step before senior international football, and the best-performing players usually graduate to the senior side. The U23 Asian Cup is a battle for glory between the best youth teams of Asia. Overall, performances at this level can showcase a player’s talent to the world and can potentially attract foreign clubs. Since Pakistan plays a handful of matches compared to other nations, it is ever so crucial to take part in the event and field the best U23 players in the nation.
Conclusion
With a newly elected body at the helm, the team will aim to leave a mark in the competition against some of the best teams in Asia. They might not qualify for the U23 Asian Cup this year, but with consistent progress, the team won’t be far away from the biggest stage in Asian U23 football. In conclusion, the team will look to cause some upsets and be the surprise package of the tournament. The fans are looking forward to seeing their U23 Shaheens compete against quality nations. The President, Mohsen Gilani, summed up his vision:
“The path forward lies in collaboration, with the government, the football community, and every passionate fan, to bring about a new era of growth, accountability, and opportunity in Pakistani football.”
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