Pakistan's Football Team kicks off at Asian Games 2018
Pakistan faced off against Vietnam in the Tournament's preliminary round under new coach Jose Antonio Nogueira
Pakistan faced 102nd ranked Vietnam in the first match of Group "D" played at Wibawa Mukti Stadium, Indonesia.
Vietnam got off the mark in the 21st minute with Nguyen Quang Hai slotting home after some quick passing play in the penalty area. The 21 year old was barely on-side as he finished a through ball which left him un-marked by any Pakistani defender. Earlier efforts from the Vietnamese team were thwarted by Pakistan's goalkeeper Saqib Hanif.
Vietnam's captain Nguyen van Quyet doubled the lead with a curling effort at the top right corner from outside the box after evading a tackle from defender Hassan Mehdi. The experienced forward's shot at goal was agonizingly out of reach for goalie Saqib Hanif who was unable to get a hand on it.
Vietnam missed a penalty in the 45th minute with Cong Phuong’s strike bouncing off the crossbar. The midfielder had another chance at goal with a second penalty awarded to Vietnam in the 69th minute, but he was unable to register his name on the scoresheet again. This time, his shot to the right side of goal was blocked be Saqib Hanif's acrobatic effort.
Pakistan's best attack came in the 71st minute, Midfielder Riaz Muhammad's attempted cross towards the captain Saddam Hussain was through the goalkeeper but intercepted by defender Tran Dinh Trong who aerially headed the ball towards fellow defender Bui Tien Dung, allowing him to direct it out of play handing Pakistan a corner kick.
Despite his bad luck earlier in the day having missed 2 chances from the spot, Cong Phuong finally scored in the 72nd minute making it 3-0 to Vietnam. The match concluded with the same scoreline. Pakistan's Riaz Muhammad and Ali Mohsin were booked during the match.
Pakistan's long-awaited return to the International stage under new Jose Antonio Nogueira was full of promise despite a loss in the opening game, Pakistan's Goalkeeper Saqib Hanif was the highlight from the side. Pakistan is scheduled to play its next match against Japan at the same venue on Thursday, 16th August. The match will kick-off at 2:00 pm Pakistan Standard Time.
