Pakistan to face Thailand in FIFA ASEAN Cup opener - Dawn

Pakistan’s national football team will begin its campaign in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup on Saturday with a match against Thailand in Indonesia. The Division 1 Group B fixture will take place at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung and kick off at 16:00 local time.

Pakistan head coach Nolberto Solano called the tournament an opportunity to test the team in matches against stronger opponents from Asia. According to Dawn, Thailand are ranked 94th in the FIFA rankings, while Pakistan are 198th. Pakistan’s other group opponents will be the Philippines, ranked 135th, and Vietnam, ranked 113th.

Tournament schedule and format

After the game against Thailand, Pakistan will face the Philippines on September 29 and Vietnam on October 2. The match against Vietnam is scheduled to take place in Jakarta, while Pakistan’s remaining group-stage games will be held in Bandung.

The first FIFA ASEAN Cup features 14 national teams: 11 ASEAN members, as well as invited Bangladesh, Pakistan and Hong Kong, China. Division 1, hosted by Indonesia, includes eight teams divided into two groups. The group winners will play in the final, while the second-placed teams will contest the third-place match.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Team squads

Thailand’s squad includes midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin, Japanese-club midfielder Supachok Sarachat, forward Jude Soonsup-Bell and defender Nicholas Mickelson, who plays in Germany. The team is coached by English manager Anthony Hudson.

Pakistan named 23 players, including footballers from foreign clubs. Abdullah Iqbal will captain the team, while experienced forward Kaleemullah has returned to the national side. Defender Easah Suliman’s arrival in Bandung was delayed due to illness; according to the source, he was expected to join the team on Friday.

The squad also includes Pakistan U17 captain Abdul Samad, who recently signed a two-year contract with Azerbaijan’s Qarabag. Pakistan enter the competition after winning the Diamond Jubilee international tournament in the Maldives, where they beat Afghanistan 2:0 in the final.

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