ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s men’s football team coach Stephen Constantine acknowledged on Thursday Saudi Arabia is among some of the best sides in the world but vowed that his team would fight till the last minute as Pakistan seek to redeem themselves after four consecutive defeats in FIFA qualifiers.
Pakistan will face Saudi Arabia at Islamabad’s Jinnah Football Stadium on June 6. Saudi Arabia thumped them 4-0 in the first leg of the World Cup qualifying fixtures when the two Group G sides faced each other last November in Al Ahsa city. Within the next few days, Pakistan suffered a second defeat as Tajikistan cruise to 6-1 win.
The June 6 fixture against Saudi Arabia will be Pakistan’s last home match for the FIFA World Cup qualifying round.
“We are going to fight them from the first minute to the last minute because that’s what we do,” the Pakistani coach told Arab News on the sidelines of one of the practice sessions in Islamabad. “We have to fight. We have to be physical, and we have to try to keep the goals to the minimum.”
Pakistani midfielder Rahis Nabi, one of the diaspora players from Birmingham, United Kingdom, said he was optimistic to win the match against Saudi Arabia, who shocked the world by defeating Argentina 2-1 in their group stage match during the World Cup in Qatar.
“Every game is new now at the beginning,” the 25-year-old player said. “We can win any game, just depends on how we play on the night, and I do believe we can get results.”
Asked about his experience of playing for Pakistan’s national team, Nabi lauded the local players for their hard work and passion for the sport.
“I think we learned many things from each other, but I would say local players learned to be more confident,” he said.
“Maybe they don’t have the confidence that we have by playing abroad,” he continued, adding it was important to tell these players that making mistakes was okay but they had to continue trying.
Pakistan will face Tajikistan on June 11 in what will be their final away fixture of round two.
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 go through to the third round.
After four losses, Pakistan eye redemption in FIFA qualifier against Saudi Arabia next week
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After four losses, Pakistan eye redemption in FIFA qualifier against Saudi Arabia next week
- Pakistan’s coach says players will fight till the last minute as they prepare for home fixture in Islamabad
- Last November, Saudi Arabia thrashed Pakistan 4-0 when the two teams faced each other in Al Ahsa city
Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization
- Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
- Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.
The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.
The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said.
“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards.
Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.
Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.
In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group.
The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.
