NEW DELHI: In a historic moment, Pakistan's national soccer team secured their first-ever World Cup qualifying game victory on Tuesday by defeating Cambodia with a score of 1-0 in Islamabad, allowing them to advance to the second round of qualifiers.
The initial leg of the match in Phnom Penh had ended in a goalless draw. However, the game in Islamabad saw Harun Hamid's half-volley becoming the decisive factor in Pakistan's favor, securing the much-awaited victory at the Jinnah Sports Stadium. This marked the first time Pakistan hosted a home game since 2015.
This victory also marked Pakistan's first win since 2018, a significant milestone for the team ranked 197th in the world. Their upcoming challenges in the World Cup qualifiers will involve facing formidable opponents like Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Jordan, with the matches set to commence in November.
It's worth noting that Pakistan faced a FIFA ban in April 2021, lasting for 15 months, due to "undue third party interference," marking their second suspension in four years.
Pakistan will proceed to the second stage of qualifiers, where they will be joined by nine other teams, following a two-leg, home-and-away series involving the Asian Football Confederation's 20 lowest-ranked teams.
In other results, Singapore advanced by defeating Guam 3-1 on aggregate, including a 1-0 win on Tuesday, and Afghanistan secured their place in the next round by beating Mongolia 1-0, resulting in a 2-0 aggregate score.
Yemen was held to a 1-1 draw by Sri Lanka, Asia's lowest-ranked team at No. 202, but Yemen's strong performance in the home leg allowed them to advance with a 4-1 aggregate score.
(With AP inputs)
