The Saudi Arabia football team has arrived in Pakistan ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, scheduled to take place at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on June 6.
Accompanied by their esteemed manager Roberto Mancini and assistant coach Yaya Toure, the Saudi team made the journey from Riyadh to Islamabad via a chartered flight. Upon arrival at Islamabad International Airport, they were warmly welcomed by Pakistani officials and KSA ambassador Nawaf Bin-Said Al-Malki.
The trip to Pakistan experienced a slight delay. Originally, the Saudi team planned to arrive two days before the match, but due to inadequate training facilities and the subpar condition of Jinnah Stadium, their departure was postponed to just one day before the game.
In preparation for the upcoming match, the Pakistan football team announced their squad on Tuesday. Notably, 18-year-old striker McKeal Abdullah, who plays for Mansfield Town in EFL League Two, will be participating in this highly anticipated clash. Although Mansfield Town will be competing in EFL League One in the 2024-25 season after securing promotion, Abdullah remains a key player for Pakistan.
However, Adam Khan, the Blackburn Rovers U21 goalkeeper, did not make the final squad. On the other hand, star winger Otis Khan and left-back Mohammad Fazal have returned to the team, strengthening Pakistan’s lineup. Unfortunately, captain and star defender Easah Suliman will be absent due to his pilgrimage for Hajj.
Currently, Pakistan sits at the bottom of Group G, having lost all four matches they have played. Their journey began with a 4-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia in Al-Ahsa last November, followed by a 6-1 loss to Tajikistan in Islamabad later that month. Subsequent matches saw Pakistan losing 3-0 to Jordan in Islamabad during Ramadan and suffering a 7-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at Amman International Stadium.
After facing Saudi Arabia, Pakistan will conclude their group stage matches by playing against Tajikistan in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
Squad:
- Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Hassan Ali
- Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Mohammad Fazal, Haseeb Khan, Rao Omer Hayat, Mamoon Moosa, Mohammad Saddam, Waqar Ihtisham, Moin Ahmed, Abdul Rehman
- Midfielders: Rahis Nabi, Otis Khan, Ali Uzair, Umair Ali, Toqeer ul Hassan, Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Zafar
- Forwards: Imran Kayani, McKeal Abdullah, Fareedullah, Adeel Younas, Shayak Dost