Bandung, September 25, 2026: Pakistan will begin their campaign in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup against higher-ranked Thailand on Saturday, with head coach Nolberto Solano viewing the tournament as an opportunity to test his side against some of Asia’s stronger teams.
The Group B Division One opener will kick off at 4pm local time (2pm PST) at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung. Pakistan will then face the Philippines on September 29 before taking on Vietnam on October 2.
“We want to use this opportunity to test ourselves against teams like Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam,” Solano said at the pre-match press conference on Friday. “It’s an honour to be here and we know it will be a tough competition.”
The challenge is reflected in the FIFA rankings, with Thailand currently ranked 94th and Pakistan 198th. The Philippines are ranked 135th and Vietnam 113th.
“All our opponents will be very tough and they have fantastic players,” Solano said. “Asian football has been getting better and better so it is a big test for us.
“We are slowly growing, we try to go step by step. We will try to prove ourselves as a national team and see how far we can go in this competition.”
Pakistan enter the tournament after a successful summer in which they won the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in the Maldives.
The Shaheens went unbeaten in the four-team event, drawing 0-0 with Bangladesh before defeating the Maldives 3-0 and Afghanistan 2-0 in the round-robin stage. They beat Afghanistan 2-0 again in the final, with Shayek Dost and Harun Hamid scoring, to claim their first standalone international tournament title in decades.
The ASEAN Cup presents a significantly tougher challenge, with Thailand naming a squad featuring veteran playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin, Japan-based midfielder Supachok Sarachat and English-born forward Jude Soonsup-Bell. German-based defender Nicholas Mickelson is also part of coach Anthony Hudson’s squad.
Pakistan have assembled a 23-man squad led by captain Abdullah Iqbal, while experienced forward Kaleemullah has returned to the national setup. Pakistan Under-17 captain Abdul Samad is also included after recently signing a two-year contract with Azerbaijani champions Qarabag FK.
Defender Easah Suliman, who plays abroad, joined the squad in Bandung after his arrival was delayed by illness.
For captain Abdullah Iqbal, the tournament provides Pakistan with an opportunity to compete against opposition from a different level.
“It is a great opportunity for us to compete against teams at another level,” he said. “We will try to give our best.”
The inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup features 14 national teams, comprising all 11 ASEAN members and three guest teams — Bangladesh, Pakistan and Hong Kong China — competing across two divisions. Division One is being staged in Indonesia, with its Group B matches involving Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The group winners will advance to the Division One final, while the runners-up will contest a third-place match. Pakistan’s remaining fixtures are against the Philippines in Bandung on September 29 and Vietnam at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on October 2.
For Solano, the focus is on gradual progress and using the tournament to assess Pakistan against stronger opposition.
“We are slowly growing,” the former Peru international said. “We try to go step by step. We will try to prove ourselves as a national team and see how far we can go in this competition.”
