In a historic victory, Pakistan secured its first-ever win in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers by defeating Cambodia 1-0 in Islamabad on Tuesday. Harun Hamid scored the decisive goal in the 67th minute.
The initial leg of the contest ended in a goalless draw in Cambodia, and Pakistan played without star forward Otis Khan due to FIFA’s clearance issues.
FIFA had previously declared Khan ineligible for the first leg, despite his possession of a Pakistani passport, citing his eligibility based on his paternal grandfather’s roots in Delhi and later relocation to Pakistan after the 1947 partition.
Prior to this victory, Pakistan had not hosted a FIFA/AFC World Cup Qualifier since the Bangladesh vs. Pakistan match at the Punjab Stadium in 2011.
In the next stage, Pakistan will compete against Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tajikistan in Group G during the second round of the qualifiers.
