Pakistan’s Victory— 1-0 over Cambodia in a World Cup Qualifying Match
Date : 20th October, 2023
THE SOIL – In world football, Pakistan’s most recent victory—a 1-0 victory over Cambodia in a World Cup qualifying match—went mostly unreported. But the significance of this win for the national team was so great that their manager, Stephen Constantine, was shocked to see such a remarkable range of emotional responses from many grown-ups.
Pakistan advanced to the second round of the 2026 Asia World Cup thanks to a pivotal goal by Harun Hamid in the 67th minute of the second leg. After a goalless draw in the game played in Phnom Penh, they advanced based on their cumulative score.
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Pakistan Reahed its First International Win in 5 Years
Pakistan achieved history when it emerged victorious from its first World Cup qualifying match. With this triumph, Pakistan achieved its first international triumph in five years, and Jinnah Sports Stadium in Islamabad was the site of joyous celebrations.
In late September, an Englishman named Constantine took over as team captain, and he was given the difficult assignment of ending a 13-game losing skid. His task was to put together a squad of players, some of whom had not played in a competitive match in several months, who were both based in the area and outside.
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For Pakistan This Win is a Really Important Occasion
The sixty-one-year-old Constantine, a former coach who has managed teams in Nepal, Malawi, Sudan, Rwanda, and India, told the BBC, “I’ve never seen so many grown men cry in my life. It is an unbelievable atmosphere here.”
For them, this is a really important occasion. They have never advanced to the second round of competition in their 75 years of existence. Their most recent triumph occurred in 2018, and this was their first home game in an incredible eight and a half years. The emotional toll has been really high.
Cricket to be the most Popular sport in Pakistan with Football lagging Far Behind
“I’ve barely crossed the three-week mark here, and I couldn’t be happier for the folks, the athletes, and the state of football in Pakistan.”
In Pakistan, cricket is the most popular sport, with football trailing far behind and considered only a distant and less favourite cousin by the country’s sports lovers.
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