ISLAMABAD: Syria football team reinforced their dominance over Pakistan with a comprehensive 5-0 victory in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifying clash at Jinnah Stadium on Tuesday.
Mohammad Al-Hallaq opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, capitalising on an assist from Zakaria Hannan, putting Syria ahead early in a game that had no bearing on the Group E standings.
The visitors, having already secured qualification to the next round with four straight wins, rotated their squad to give new players valuable international experience.
The second half saw Syria take complete control. Al-Hallaq doubled the lead in the 48th minute, followed by Yassin Samiah’s strike in the 79th minute, assisted by Mahmoud Al Mawas.
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In injury time, Alaa Al Dali and Samiah added two more goals, with assists from Hasan Dahan and Anas Dahhan respectively, sealing a crushing 5-0 win.
Syria had previously defeated Pakistan 2-0 in the first leg back in March, maintaining their upper hand over the South Asian side.
For Pakistan, the loss highlighted ongoing challenges in Group E, where they sit at the bottom behind Myanmar and Afghanistan.
The 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Asia’s 19th edition of its premier men’s football tournament, will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, featuring 24 national teams after the 2019 expansion.