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 backs Bahrain, calls for de-escalation as Iran war continues
- Dar speaks with Bahrain’s foreign minister, conveys concern over recent attacks in the Gulf
- Both officials call for regional peace a day after Bahrain’s oil exporter declared force majeure
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan called for dialogue and de-escalation to resolve the ongoing Iran war, an official statement said on Tuesday, expressing concern over its continuing spillover into neighboring Arab states following Tehran’s attacks in the Gulf region.
Tensions in the Gulf have surged since coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28, diminishing prospects of a diplomatic settlement to Tehran’s long-running dispute with Western countries and Israel over its nuclear program.
Iran subsequently said it was targeting American military bases in Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan, prompting condemnations from those governments, which said several strikes had hit civilian infrastructure.
Pakistan condemned both the initial strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the region, urging all sides to halt hostilities.
“Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 spoke late last night with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister H. E. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a social media post. “They exchanged views on the developments in the Middle East and the wider region, conveying grave concern over recent attacks, including in Bahrain.”
“DPM/FM reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Bahrain and its people, highlighting the need for de-escalation, dialogue, and efforts for peace and stability in the region,” it added.
The Iran war has disrupted regional energy infrastructure and oil trade.
Bahrain’s state oil company Bapco declared force majeure on its group operations on Friday following an attack on its refinery complex.
Bapco is a major exporter of fuels including diesel, jet fuel and naphtha to markets across the Middle East and Asia.
On Tuesday, Iran launched fresh attacks in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia also said it had destroyed two drones over its oil-rich eastern region and Kuwait’s National Guard said it had shot down six drones.
Dar told Pakistan’s Senate earlier this month that the government was actively striving to defuse tensions in the region. He has also remained in touch with top officials in both Iran and Arab countries.
