In a momentous stride forward, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has received official approval from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to stage the World Cup Qualifier Home Leg against Cambodia on October 17, set to take place at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. The PSB has cordially invited PFF technical team to conduct an assessment of the stadium's present state on August 17.

Sources close to the matter have disclosed that the Punjab Sports Board has also expressed the availability of Punjab Stadium as a potential venue. However, the formal communication in the form of an official letter to the PFF is still pending. It is noteworthy that the deadline for the submission of the chosen venue to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) stands at August 18.

The sources have also revealed that once the venue is confirmed, the AFC will initiate the deployment of its inspection team to Pakistan. This visit aims to finalize and ratify the venue for the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match, a significant showdown between Pakistan and Cambodia.