JAKARTA -UNS : Pakistan produced a spirited second-half comeback to hold the Philippines to a 2-2 draw in the FIFA ASEAN Cup on Tuesday, earning their first point and goals in their debut appearance in the competition.
Ali Akbar Khan opened Pakistan’s scoring with his maiden international goal before Abdul Samad Arshad completed the comeback with an equaliser.
The result marked a significant turnaround for Pakistan, who had suffered a 4-0 defeat to Thailand in their Group B opener. The point was also notable given the more than 60-place gap between the two teams in the FIFA rankings, with Pakistan placed 198th and the Philippines ranked around 135th-136th.
The Philippines started strongly at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, putting Pakistan’s defence under sustained pressure. Mohibullah Afridi made an important block to deny a dangerous cross, while goalkeeper Yousuf Butt produced a one-on-one save to keep out André Leipold.
The hosts eventually took the lead in the 24th minute. Mohibullah, positioned on the goal line, headed the ball onto the crossbar, but Sandro Reyes reacted quickest to the rebound and bundled it into the net.
Pakistan almost responded immediately when Ali Akbar broke through, but his effort was saved by goalkeeper Kevin Ray Mendoza.
The Philippines doubled their advantage shortly after the half-hour mark when Mohammad Fazal was penalised for handball inside the box. Bjørn Kristensen converted the resulting penalty, sending Yousuf the wrong way.
Pakistan went into halftime two goals behind, but coach Nolberto Solano made two substitutions at the interval, bringing on Ali Agha and Hayyan Khattak.
The changes quickly transformed Pakistan’s attacking threat. Just two minutes into the second half, captain Abdullah Iqbal found Ali Akbar on the left.
The forward beat a defender before slotting the ball through Mendoza’s legs to score his first international goal.
Pakistan continued to press for an equaliser, and their persistence paid off on the hour mark. Abdul Samad Arshad won possession on the right, drove into the penalty area and cut onto his left foot before firing past Mendoza to make it 2-2.
The Green Shirts continued searching for a winning goal, while Solano introduced Abdul Rehman and Abdul Samad Khan for their international debuts.
The Philippines threatened on the counterattack, but Mohibullah made another crucial block from close range to keep Pakistan level.
Despite late pressure from Pakistan and strong support from their fans in the stands, the Philippines managed to hold on for a share of the points.
The draw keeps Pakistan’s Group B campaign alive ahead of their final fixture, where they will look to build on their impressive second-half recovery.
