Islamabad, Pakistan - The Pakistan national football team will take on Tajikistan today at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 PM PST.

Pakistan is currently ranked 195th in the world by FIFA, while Tajikistan is ranked 151st. Pakistan lost its first match of the qualifiers to Saudi Arabia 4-0, while Tajikistan defeated Yemen 3-0.

Pakistan head coach Roberto Mancini is confident that his team can bounce back from the defeat to Saudi Arabia and defeat Tajikistan. Mancini said, "We are disappointed with the result against Saudi Arabia, but we have learned from our mistakes and we are confident that we can beat Tajikistan."

Tajikistan head coach Mehrobjon Urunov is also confident that his team can win the match. Urunov said, "Pakistan is a good team, but we are confident that we can win the match. We have been training hard and we are ready for the challenge."

The match is expected to be a close contest. Both teams are evenly matched and they will be looking to get off to a winning start in the qualifiers.

Here are some of the key players to watch in the match:

• Pakistan:

  • Kaleemullah Khan
  • Hassan Bashir
  • Muhammad Bilal

• Tajikistan:

  • Fatkhullo Fatkhulloev
  • Komron Tursunov
  • Iskandar Dzhalilov

The winner of the match will take a big step towards qualifying for the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The third round will be played in a group format, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Pakistan v Tajikistan: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2023 Time: 5:00 PM PST Venue: Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad Pakistan's road to the FIFA World Cup 2026

Pakistan is hoping to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1988. The team has been on an upward trajectory in recent years, and they will be looking to make history by qualifying for the next World Cup.

The road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be a long and difficult one, but Pakistan is confident that they have the talent and the determination to succeed. The team will need to be at their best in order to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.