Pakistan beat Cambodia registering First-ever WIN in FIFA World Cup qualifier

Pakistan’s national soccer team won a World Cup qualifying game for the first time on Tuesday, beating Cambodia 1-0 in Islamabad to advance to the second round.

British born Pakistani,Harun Hamid who plays for Queens Park Rangers FC under-21as a midfielder scored the wining goal.

Harun Hamid scored the winning goal for Pakistan in the 67th minute of the match. The stadium erupted with joy as Pakistan took the lead, securing a 1-0 victory over Cambodia.The first leg of the tie between the two sides ended goalless in Phnom Penh,Cambodia.

The team missed the inclusion of Bristish Pakistani footballer Otis Khan,midfielder was barred from participating in the first leg by game’s governing body FIFA, which ruled him ineligible, despite him possessing a Pakistani passport.

Pakistan, ranked 197th, since 2018 in FIFA ranking. It next faces Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan, starting in November.

Pakistan played eight matches between November 2022 and June 2023, including five friendlies, but lost them all – conceding 18 goals in the process and scoring just one.

The FIFA-led Normalisation Committee (NC) currently running the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) appointed Stephen Constantine as a new coach for Pakistan Football team.Constantine,miraculously led India from a rank of 173rd in 2015 to 97th in December 2018, while also helping them qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup.

Pakistan was banned by FIFA in April 2021 for 15 months because of “undue third party interference” in its second ban in four years.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Usman Ali, Salman ul Haq and Yousaf Butt.

Defenders: Mamoon Moosa Khan, Mohibullah, Sohail Khan, Juniad Shah, Ali Khan Niazi, Rao Umar Hayat, Abdullah Iqbal and Easah Suliman.

Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Uzair, Rajab Ali, Nizamuddin, Harun Hamid and Rahis Nabi.

Forwards: Waleed Khan, Mohammad Waheed, Yousuf, Fareed Khan, Abdul Samad, Otis Khan, Moin Ahmed and Shayak Dost.