ISLAMABAD: Jordan defeated Pakistan 3-0 to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier between the two sides played at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on Thursday.
The Jordanian football team arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday night to compete with the South Asian country on its soil for the first time in 18 years.
Their last visit to Pakistan was in 2006. Last October, the Pakistan men’s football team beat Cambodia 1-0 to win their first ever FIFA World Cup qualifier in Islamabad.
Pakistan subsequently lost 4-0 to Saudi Arabia in the second round. Pakistan will now face Jordan in an away fixture on Mar. 26.
“It was disappointing because we gave them easy goals in the beginning,” Pakistani footballer Muhammad Essa said at the post-match ceremony.
“We lost 3-0 but we can be proud that we didn’t lie down and let them walk all over us. We gave them a fight.
We have improved little by little, but we need to improve these mistakes as well.”
Essa said the team needed to “work hard on everything,” from finishing to defending and organizing as a unit.
Jordanian footballer Mousa Tamari scored twice to dent Pakistan’s hopes of winning the match.
Tamari netted one in the second minute of the match and the other in the 86th minute.
A controversial penalty by Ali Iyad Ali Olwan made it 3-0 against Pakistan.
Pakistan men’s football team coach Stephen Constantine acknowledged last week Jordan was one of the best sides in Asia but vowed Pakistan would not “lay down” in front of their opponents.
“We have very little time to prepare for such a big game,” he said.
“And unfortunately, we are going to play one of the best teams [Jordan] in Asia on 21st March.”
“We will fight against Jordan and not lay down,” he added.