LAHORE: Head coach Stephen Constantine isn’t pleased with the build-up for Pakistan’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, since Jordan may be their most formidable opponent.
The Englishman acknowledged there is little he can do, even if he said he was building a team that wouldn’t give up easily.
After suffering crushing defeats at the hands of Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan in their first Group “G” encounters, Pakistan’s situation will only worsen when they play home and away matches against a Jordanian team that is riding high after winning the AFC Asian Cup earlier this month.
Jordan made history by making it to the Asian Cup championship final, however they were defeated by the hosts and reigning champions, Qatar, despite their incredible run.
They defeated Tajikistan 6-1 in October enroute to the championship match, and Constantine is aware that his team will be up against a formidable opponent with little preparation.
“Obviously, Pakistan faces challenges when playing in the World Cup Qualifiers against fierce opponents who are Asian football giants,” he said to media during the national team’s Saturday practice at the Model Town Ground. “We haven’t got much time to get ready for a game this important. Regretfully, we will be facing one of the top teams in Asia.
“We had planned a camp for January, but it never happened. There were no friendly games that we could organize. We have not had much time to prepare for Jordan. We are focusing on the tasks at hand. I have no power over those things. We are going to compete, battle, and show no mercy to anyone.
On March 21, Pakistan hosts Jordan at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. Five days later, Pakistan travels to Amman for the rematch.
Reiterating that Pakistan has advanced past the first round of qualification for the first time in their history, Constantine stated that they are not in the running to qualify for the World Cup.
“No, we’re not playing in this World Cup, and we might not play in the next one either,” he declared. “I’m attempting to get the team ready for the SAFF Championship and the Asian Cup Qualifiers.”
The top two teams in the group secure their spots in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and move on to the World Cup’s third qualifying phase. The Asian Cup’s third qualifying round will see the bottom two finishers advance, and Constantine claimed he was using these matches as practice for the upcoming games.
The 61-year-old, who once again bemoaned the dearth of domestic football in the nation, stated, “These [matches] will help the players gain experience and exposure that will benefit them in the long run.”
The players in the training camp are all locals; domestic football in the nation has been suspended by the Pakistan Football Federation Normalization Committee, so these players have never experienced regular competition.
The players from the diaspora who will be joining the club, according to Constantine, are not the answer.
He said, “Diaspora players will be here by Sunday or Monday.” Because kids are playing games over the weekend, we need to check their condition when they arrive. We’re not sure if they have any wounds. We shall address each issue one by one.
“We beat Tajikistan despite having seven players from the diaspora, so you can’t say they’re going to be the answer to all of our problems.”
Constantine, who was clearly furious, also made fun of his employers for not doing more at home.
Constantine asked, “How are we going to find the players, how are we going to develop them if they’re not playing?” “The caliber of players from the diaspora is not comparable to elite European leagues. Their advantage is that they are playing more consistently than our boys are here.
“This is where we need to take action. Let’s take it from there. We had 32 teams compete in the PFF Challenge Cup. To begin the league, select 16 of them. Although it’s not my specialty, I don’t see why we need teams from every district when there were 32 teams in the Challenge Cup. I’m not sure what’s happening, but this has to be fixed right away.
In response to a query on whether Pakistan may surprise Jordan in a manner reminiscent of 2007, when the national team held Iraq, the Asian champions at the time, to a scoreless draw, Constantine questioned whether Pakistan had a league at the time.
When informed that a league was in operation at the time, he responded, “There you have it.”
