With two points from four games, Afghanistan and Pakistan were still in third and fourth place, respectively. AL-ARDIYA: At the Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium on Tuesday, Pakistan’s second Group E match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers ended in a 1-1 tie with Afghanistan thanks to an outstanding goal by Etzaz Hussain. Within five minutes, Afghanistan took the lead as defender Mahboob Hanifi slotted the ball past Pakistani goalkeeper Saqib Hanif. Later, Hussain equalized the score with an incredible field goal, guaranteeing Pakistan a point from a fierce match. Afghanistan’s lead, however, was short-lived as Pakistan tied the score at one with a goal by midfielder Etzaz Hussain in the 29th minute.
After that, the two sides tried multiple times to win the tie-breaker, but the scoreboard held up until the last whistle, so they each shared a point. With two points from four games, Afghanistan and Pakistan were still in third and fourth place, respectively, even though they shared the points. The better goal differential gives the former the advantage. For those who are unaware, last week in Islamabad, Pakistan and Afghanistan drew their first leg of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. Although the Green Shirts started the game with a lot of energy and frequent attacks, they were unable to get past Afghanistan’s strong defense in the first half. Pakistan was unable to convert their chances due to Afghanistan’s strong defensive setup.
When they were given a penalty in the 67th minute, Pakistan had a fantastic chance to grab the lead. But Otis Khan was unable to score, thus the score remained the same. Fans praised both teams for their energetic performances in a close draw, despite their sadness at lost chances.
