The football teams from Tajikistan and Pakistan met in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. The Tajikistani squad defeated the Pakistani team 6-1.
The Pakistan men’s football team won their first-ever FIFA World Cup qualifier in Islamabad last month, defeating Cambodia 1-0 on Tuesday. Then, in the second round, Pakistan was defeated by Saudi Arabia 4-0. Due to a slight deflection by Abdullah Iqbal, Amadoni Kamolov of Tajikistan scored the first goal on Tuesday in the ninth minute. Five minutes later, another effort from outside the box gave the visitors a two-goal advantage.
Yousuf Butt of Pakistan was unable to prevent the shot from hitting the net, thanks to Rustam Soirov. Pakistan’s midfield player, Rahis Nabi, provided the home supporters with much-needed optimism to get back in the game with a spectacular strike in the 21st minute, which proved to be the only goal scored by the home team. The home team then mounted a valiant defensive effort to keep Tajikistan goalless until halftime. Pakistan finished with a 1-6 score after their suffering persisted in the second half.
With 864.84 points, Pakistan is presently ranked 193rd in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, while Tajikistan is ranked 109th. Pakistan will now play their Group G opponents, Jordan, on March 21, 2024. To advance to the third round, a total of 36 teams are competing. These teams are divided into nine groups, each with four teams.
The leading two teams from each group in the second round will advance to the third round. In this stage, 18 nations will be divided into three groups of six. Subsequently, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26.
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