ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): In a major development, the Pakistan national football team has secured entry into the inaugural edition of the FIFA ASEAN Cup, becoming the team’s first-ever participation in any FIFA tournament.
According to sources, the Pakistan Football Federation has confirmed the national team’s participation in the event after an invitation from FIFA.
The inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup will be held in Indonesia from September 21 to October 6 and will feature teams from across the region.
Pakistan will compete in Division 1 alongside India, hosts Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in what is expected to be a highly competitive tournament.
Pakistan’s participation marks a historic milestone, as it will be the country’s first appearance in a FIFA tournament outside qualification competitions for the FIFA World Cup and continental events.
Sources said Pakistan’s invitation followed growing engagement between FIFA and PFF President Mohsen Gilani, which helped facilitate the country’s inclusion in the tournament.
Pakistan wins tournament in Maldives
Earlier on Wednesday, the Green Shirts made history by defeating Afghanistan 2-0 in the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament at the National Football Stadium in Malé, Maldives.
The landmark June 10 victory marks the country’s first international tournament title in 74 years, ending a massive wait that dated back to 1952. This triumph marks the country’s first-ever standalone international tournament trophy in its football history.
Striker Shayek Dost opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead bicycle kick in the first half. Midfielder Harun Hamid sealed the historic win with a late strike.
Under the guidance of head coach Nolberto Solano, the Shaheens remained completely undefeated throughout the four-nation tournament, which also included Bangladesh U23 and hosts Maldives.
In the group stage, the national team defeated host Maldives and Afghanistan, while the match against Bangladesh ended in a draw.
Before this, Pakistan’s last major tournament title was the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament. However, that trophy was decided on a round-robin league basis and shared jointly with India.
The national team has won an international football tournament title after 74 years. Pakistan last reached the final of the Merdeka Cup in 1962.
