Pakistan begins Asian Cup qualification against Syria

Pakistan's national football team is preparing for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The team, coached by Stephen Constantine, has set its sights on qualifying for the tournament. This marks a significant achievement as Pakistan has reached the third round of qualifiers for the first time. Pakistan will open their campaign in Group E against Syria, a well-regarded team. The group also includes Myanmar and Afghanistan. The team that finishes first in the group will secure a spot in the Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia. Qualification will be challenging for Pakistan. There has been little progress in the development of football in the country since Constantine took over 18 months ago. He has called for a domestic league to improve local players' skills, but many team members have had limited playing time, mostly training. In previous qualifying rounds, Pakistan lost all six matches. They are now set to face a strong Syrian side that has qualified for the last two Asian Cups and reached the knockout stage in the last edition. Notable Syrian players include Omar Khribin and Omar Al Soma. While Syria is using neutral venues for their matches, Pakistan has played at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalwai Stadium. They experienced a tough 4-0 loss against Saudi Arabia there in November 2023. Even as underdogs, Pakistan is hoping to surprise with the strategic expertise of coach Constantine.