Pakistan Earn Hard-Fought 1-1 Draw Against Afghanistan in AFC Qualifier
Bilal Haider :
Etzaz Hussain scored his maiden international goal in only his second appearance to help Pakistan earn a 1-1 draw against Afghanistan in their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifier at the Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium in Ardiya, Kuwait, on Tuesday.
The result means both sides remain level after their goalless encounter in Islamabad last week. With two points each from four matches in Group E, Pakistan and Afghanistan are out of contention for the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, after Syria secured top spot earlier in the day with a 3-0 victory over Myanmar.
Playing their “home” fixture in Kuwait, Afghanistan grabbed an early advantage when defender Mahboob Hanifi surged forward and slotted past goalkeeper Saqib Hanif in the fifth minute.
Pakistan responded just before the half-hour mark. A driving run and cut-back from Otis Khan found Etzaz Hussain, who controlled the ball and turned sharply in the box before unleashing a powerful strike beyond Ovays Azizi to level the score.
Both sides introduced several substitutions in the second half, but neither could find a decisive goal as the game ended all square.
Pakistan will conclude their qualifying campaign with home matches against Syria and Myanmar in November.
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