ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s footballers on Tuesday made impassioned appeals to fans to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Jordan here at the Jinnah Stadium on Thursday, saying the home support matters a lot for them.
The national team, under the supervision of English coach Stephen Constantine, has been training at the Jinnah Stadium for the last three days for the match that will kick off at 2pm in the afternoon despite being played in the month of Ramadan.
There were plans for floodlights to be installed at the Jinnah Stadium ahead of the game to ensure the match was played in the night, after fasting hours, but they didn’t materialise and players are requesting fans to turn up for the Group ‘G’ game against Asian Cup finalists Jordan.
“I know during Ramadan it is difficult for people but we are expecting a large number of football fans to turn up,” defender Rao Umar Hayat said in a video message. “I request the fans to come and support us.”
Fellow defender Easah Suliman aired similar views.
Pakistan are rock bottom in Group ‘G’, having lost 4-0 to Saudi Arabia and 6-1 to Tajikistan in their opening two matches and Jordan will be looking to take maximum points against Pakistan in Islamabad and then at home five days later.
Jordan, who lost to Qatar in the Asian Cup final last month, were due to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday night. “They will reach here around 10:30pm,” a PFF spokesperson told Dawn.
Pakistan expected to have the services of Adil Nabi and Etzaz Hussain, who play in Cyprus and Norway respectively, for the two games against Jordan but the midfield duo, who recently received clearance to play for the country of their origin, opted out and sent out a statement that they will not play under the current management.
Constantine has called up eight foreign-based players to his squad, however, namely, Rahis Nabi, Easah Suliman, Yousuf Butt, Abdul Samad, Abdullah Iqbal, Mohammad Fazal Imran Kayani and Harun Hamid, whose goal against Cambodia last year took Pakistan past the first round of World Cup qualifying for the first time in their history.
Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2024
