LAHORE - Pakistan will take on hosts Cambodia today (Thursday) for the World Cup Qualifier away-leg match at the National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh at 5:00 pm (PST).
This away-leg World Cup Qualifier will be followed by a home-leg match at Jinnah Stadium Islamabad. If Pakistan football team manages to beat Cambodia and secure their first-ever second-round qualification, they will be grouped with Tajikistan, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in Group G.
Pakistan are ready to give their all on the pitch, leaving no stone unturned to secure a well-deserved victory. The team’s hard work, dedication, and resilience have brought them to this defining moment, and they aim to make the nation proud by clinching a spot in the second round.
In a pre-match press conference, Pakistan coach Stephen Constantine said: “It will be a very difficult game, but I think the attitude for us has to be positive. I think it will be a very different Pakistan team that people see from now on and hopefully, we can get results here and finish the process in Islamabad.
“Cambodia has had a very good team together for some time. I played against Cambodia a couple of times with India, and I think when you have a team that’s settled when you have a coach that’s been in place for some, this makes all the difference. I have to say that the attitude of the players was incredibly goodand they worked a little bit harder than they have done before. I hope that tomorrow you will see the new Pakistan and the new start of football,” added the coach.
Key Pakistani footballer Easah Suliman said: “We’re confident and we have to be confident for the game. We’re not going into the game thinking we won’t win. As the coach said, we’ve been training hard and working well. We know it’s gonna be a good crowd, and we’re excited and looking forward to it.”
On the opposing side, Cambodia’s Head Coach, Félix Dalmás, displayed a sense of confidence, emphasizing the strength of the Pakistani side: “We’re going to play against a strong side tomorrow as I said FIFA ranking doesn’t represent the quality they have. I think all the players understand their responsibility.
“The new players that we have and the players that have been here before, all have the same feeling and the same passion to represent the country. So, we will do our best to bring happiness to the people of Cambodia tomorrow,” he added.
