ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia thrashed Pakistan 4-0 when the Group G sides squared off in Al Ahsa for their World Cup qualifier match on Thursday.
Pakistan, who came into the match confident after beating Cambodia 1-0 last month in Islamabad for the first round of the qualifiers, suffered their first setback when Saudi striker Saleh Al-Shehri netted the first goal in the sixth minute.
Saudi Arabia led 1-0 at halftime.
Shehri struck again, this time courtesy of a penalty kick in the 48th minute to hand Saudi Arabia a 2-0 lead over Pakistan. The hosts did more damage in the 91st and 92nd minute of the match, when winger Abdul Rahman Ghareeb and Saudi forward Abdullah Radif scored two successive goals to make it 4-0 against Pakistan.
"It ends in defeat," the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) wrote on social media platform X.
Pakistan next face their Group G opponents Tajikistan on Tuesday, Nov. 21, before locking horns with Jordan next year on March 21, 2024.
A total of 36 football squads have been split into nine groups with four teams each in the second round of qualifiers. The winners and runners-up from each group would progress through to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.
