The Pakistan national football team is having difficulty to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup after a narrow defeat to Myanmar. This is their second consecutive defeat in Group L of the final qualifying round. Striker Thang Paing from Myanmar took the lead even before halftime in a recent match played at Thuwunna Stadium.
Pakistani captain Abdullah Iqbal showed his disappointment particularly with the performance of the team in the first half. “Well, to be honest right now, I’m very disappointed especially with the first half,” he said after the match.
HT: Myanmar lead 1-0 against Pakistan at Thuwunna Stadium. Offside in buildup not given.
— FootballPakistan.com (@FootballPak) June 10, 2025
Abdul Samad gets a yellow card before the break. pic.twitter.com/7LWhPxbLqt
He admitted that the team did not dare to play really in the initial 45 minutes but praised their improved showing after the break. Abdullah Iqbal also apologized to the fans for the first-half performance and hoped that they saw the potential the team displayed in the second half.
Pakistan now faces a challenging double-header against Afghanistan in October. Their recent performance will likely give Afghanistan confidence heading into those matches.
Interestingly this game was originally scheduled to be played in Pakistan. However the Pakistan Football Federation was occupied with organizing its elections, and agreed to swap fixtures with Myanmar. Pakistan will now host Myanmar in the return leg next March.
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