Want to win, regardless of the circumstances, Abdullah

Pakistan ready to take on Saudi Arabia in FIFA World Cup qualifier

Pakistan team is gearing up to face off against Saudi Arabia in a crucial match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier Round 2 here at the Jinnah Stadium of Pakistan Sports Complex on Thursday.

The Saudi Arabian team was warmly welcomed by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) officials as well as KSA ambassador Nawaf Bin-Said Al-Malki at Islamabad International Airport.

The visiting team reached here on a chartered flight, accompanied by renowned manager Roberto Mancini and assistant coach Yaya Toure.

Notably, PFF named a 24-member squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers clash against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The national team will have the services of former Manchester United youngster and Grimsby Town attacking midfielder Otis Khan, who will lead the team’s attack that features Mckael Abdullah, Imran Kayani, Fareed Ullah, Shayek Dost and Adeel Younas.

Pakistani coach Stephen Constantine in a pre-match conference here, expressed his team’s readiness to take on the Saudi Arabian team, saying, “We are prepared to give them a tough time and make the most of this opportunity.”
Pakistani player Abdullah Iqbal echoed his coach’s sentiments, stating, “We are fully prepared and will give our best performance. We want to win, regardless of the circumstances.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian head coach Roberto Mancini, acknowledged the challenges of playing against Pakistan, saying, “All matches are difficult, and we are not taking the match against Pakistan lightly.”

Saudi Arabian player Mukhtar Ali who was excited about playing against Green-shirts in Pakistan, said, “We have received a warm welcome, and we are eager to put on a good show.”

Pakistan are at the bottom of Group G as they have lost all four matches they have played so far. Pakistan began their journey with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia in Al-Ahsa in November followed by a 6-1 loss at the hands of Tajikistan at Islamabad in the same month.

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Jordan then defeated Pakistan 3-0 in Islamabad in a game held in Ramadan with the Shaheens also losing the reverse fixture 7-0 at the Amman International Stadium.

After the match against Saudi Arabia, Pakistan will lock horns with Tajikistan in their final group match in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt (D), Saqib Hanif and Hassan Ali

Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal (D), Mohammad Fazal (D), Haseeb Khan, Rao Omer Hayat, Mamoon Moosa, Mohammad Saddam, Waqar Ihtisham, Moin Ahmed and Abdul Rehman

Midfielders: Rahis Nabi (D), Otis Khan (D), Ali Uzair, Umair Ali, Toqeer ul Hassan, Alamgir Ghazi and Ali Zafar

Forwards: Imran Kayani (D), McKeal Abdulah, Fareedulah, Adeel Younas and Shayak Dost