Pakistan hold Afghanistan to draw in AFC Asian Cup Qualifier

AL-ARDIYA: Etzaz Hussain’s brilliant strike earned Pakistan a 1-1 draw against Afghanistan in their second Group E match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium on Tuesday.

Afghanistan made an early breakthrough when defender Mahboob Hanifi fired home inside five minutes, slotting the ball past Pakistan goalkeeper Saqib Hanif.

Hussain later levelled the score with a superb field goal, ensuring Pakistan took a valuable point from an intense encounter.

Afghanistan’s lead, however, did not last long as midfielder Etzaz Hussain netted the equaliser in the 29th minute to help Pakistan level at 1-1.

The two teams then made several attempts to score the tie-breaker, but the scoreboard remained intact until the final whistle, resulting in them sharing a point apiece.

Despite sharing the points, Afghanistan and Pakistan remained third and fourth, respectively, with two points in four matches. The former holds the edge due to a superior goal difference.

For the unversed, Pakistan and Afghanistan played out a draw in their first leg of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers last week in Islamabad.

The Green Shirts began the game with intensity, mounting regular attacks, but were unable to breach Afghanistan’s resilient defence in the first half.

Afghanistan’s solid defensive setup successfully kept Pakistan from converting their chances.

Pakistan had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 67th minute when they were awarded a penalty. However, Otis Khan failed to capitalise, leaving the scoreline unchanged.

Despite the disappointment over missed opportunities, fans applauded both teams for their spirited display in a hard-fought draw.