On Tuesday, Pakistan lost 6-1 against Tajikistan in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad.
Tajikistan began the game in the same way that Saudi Arabia did four days ago, finding the back of the net early on, with Kamolov scoring for the visitors on a slight deflection by Abdullah Iqbal.
Within five minutes, the visitors doubled their lead with another strike from outside the box, with Soirov making it hard for Pakistan’s Yousuf Butt to save the attempt.
In response to Tajikistan’s early lead in the 21st minute, Rahis Nabi of Pakistan scored a remarkable goal with his left foot, injecting hope for the home side and their fans to make a comeback.
However, the Green Shirts faced challenges in terms of team structure and off-the-ball movement, with a notably absent midfield during the first half. Exploiting these gaps, Tajikistan scored another goal from outside the box in the 26th minute.
Problems persisted for the home team as Tajikistan secured another goal just before halftime, establishing a three-goal lead and a dominant position.
The struggles continued for Pakistan in the second half, with difficulties in ball possession and maintaining a proper game tempo. Every touch seemed directed towards the goal, preventing the team from establishing a structured play.
In the 65th minute, the Men in Green conceded another goal from the edge of the box, highlighting defensive challenges. Tajikistan added one more goal just before the final whistle.
The match concluded with a 1-6 score, with Tajikistan emerging as clear winners in a one-sided football game. Apart from Nabi’s impressive goal in the first half, there were few positive moments for Pakistan.
Earlier, Pakistan had suffered a 4-0 defeat against Saudi Arabia in their first FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match.
