ISLAMABAD: Pakistan faced a resounding 0-7 defeat against Jordan in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round 2 Qualifier away fixture at the Amman International Stadium on Wednesday.
The match was part of the fourth round of Group Seven competitions in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
“Defeat in Amman,” the Pakistan Football Federation said on X, announcing the results of the match.
Jordan’s Musa Al-Taamari scored a hat-trick by netting the first, fourth, and sixth goals. Yazan Al-Naimat contributed the second goal through a penalty kick while Saad Al-Rousan got a third goal for his team.
Adding to the scoreline was Ali Alwan who found the back of the net in the 75th minute, followed by Muhammad Abu Zureiq, who scored the seventh goal.
The victory has put Jordan in second place in Group Seven of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with a total of seven points. Two teams from the group will now advance to the third round, while the remaining two sides will play in the Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers.
Last Thursday, Jordan thrashed Pakistan 3-0 at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad during the first qualifying match between the two sides. This was Jordan’s first visit to Pakistan for a football match in 18 years.
Pakistan’s journey in the qualifiers has been a mix of victories and defeats.
Pakistan clinched a 1-0 victory against Cambodia last October, marking their first-ever FIFA World Cup qualifier win in Islamabad, but then suffered a 4-0 loss to Saudi Arabia in the subsequent round.
Squads
Pakistan: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit, Hassan Ali, Easah Suliman, Abdullah Iqbal, Mamoon Musa, Haseeb Khan, Mohammad Saddam, Mohammad Sohail, Rao Omar, Mohammad Fazal, Mohammad Adeel, Rahis Nabi, Harun Hamid, Alamgir Ghazi, Rajab Ali, Ali Uzair, Shayek Dost, Abdul Samad, FareedUllah, Waleed Khan, Imran Kayani, Adeel Younis.
Jordan: Yazid Abu Laila, Ahmed Al-Jaidi, Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, Yazan Al-Arab, Baraa Marhi, Anas Bani Yassin, Saad Al-Rousan, Ihsan Haddad, Firas Shalbaya, Salem Al-Ajalin, Mahmoud Shawkat, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Ibrahim Saada, Nour Al-Rawabdeh, Rajai Ayed, Youssef Abu Jalbush, Saleh Ratib, Mahmoud Mardi, Muhammad Abu Rizk, Ali Alwan, Muhammad Abu Zureiq “Sharara”, Musa Al-Taamari, and Yazan Al-Naimat.
Pakistan face 0-7 defeat in second FIFA qualifier against Jordan
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Pakistan face 0-7 defeat in second FIFA qualifier against Jordan
- Match was part of fourth round of Group Seven competitions in Asian qualifiers for 2026 World Cup
- Last Thursday, Jordan thrashed Pakistan 3-0 at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad during qualifying match
In Pakistan, ‘Eternal Love’ has no place on YouTube
- YouTube blocked the Urdu-language dating show after complaints that it violated cultural and religious norms
- YouTube blocked the Urdu-language dating show after complaints that it violated cultural and religious norms
ISLAMABAD: YouTube has hit pause on a dating show that whisked eight men and women from conservative Pakistan to a sun-soaked Istanbul villa, where the strangers mingled, flirted and searched for chemistry.
What was meant to be a glittering escape into modern-day romance sparked a storm back home, turning the rose-petal drama into a cultural, traditional and religious flashpoint.
Dating and sex outside of marriage are prohibited by law in the Muslim-majority country, where public displays of affection can draw penalties.
The show “Lazawal Ishq,” or “Eternal Love,” aired 50 episodes before it was recently taken off YouTube in Pakistan, though it is still available elsewhere.
The format, reminiscent of the British reality hit “Love Island,” pushed boundaries that Pakistani entertainment typically avoids.
“Our program might not be watchable in Pakistan due to political reasons,” the show posted on its Instagram page.
It advised Pakistani viewers to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to continue watching.
YouTube did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment on why the show was suspended.
The show’s trailer starts with the host, actress Ayesha Omer, entering the villa in a white dress, where she meets contestants who are to choose a partner of their liking and test their compatibility through 100 episodes.
Omer swiftly came under fire online for wearing a “Western dress” and hosting a show that “promotes obscene and immoral content,” an increasingly common reaction to celebrities who deviate from Pakistan’s conservative expectations.
Omer countered on Instagram that “this is not a Pakistani show... it is a Turkish production, but of course people in Pakistan can watch it.”
A LOT OF COMPLAINTS
The Urdu-language show proved popular, with the inaugural trailer getting over two million views.
The online buzz underscored a growing divide between Pakistan’s younger, digitally connected audience and traditional gatekeepers anxious about changing values.
“It was something fun to watch. A show that showed that people in Pakistan can and do date even though it is frowned upon,” said one viewer who requested anonymity to speak freely.
But someone soon filed a petition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), it said, seeking a ban and claiming the show goes against “Pakistan’s religious and social values by showing unmarried men and women living together.”
The regulator acknowledged receiving “a lot of complaints” about “Eternal Love” but said it did not have jurisdiction over digital platforms.
PEMRA advised petitioning the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which oversees online content. It did not respond to requests for comment.
It is not the first time YouTube has taken down a program deemed offensive by conservative Pakistanis.
Last year, the show “Barzakh,” a family drama that touched on topics including love and spirituality, was removed on claims it promoted LGBTQ relationships.
