‘We felt we could win it’: Solano hails Pakistan’s character [The News]

LAHORE: Head Coach Nolberto Solano was full of praise for his players after Pakistan came from two goals down to hold the Philippines to a 2-2 draw in the FIFA ASEAN Cup, saying his team even believed they could win it in the end.

Speaking to The News after the historic result that gave Pakistan their first-ever point in a FIFA competition, Solano admitted his side had a tough start but lauded their mentality and fightback.

“First of all, I think we had difficult moments in the match today. In the first half, we didn’t start in the way we had planned. It was tough in the beginning, and they scored a goal,” Solano said.

“But the most important thing today was the team’s reaction. I am very pleased with how the team responded. It’s not easy at this level to come back from two goals down. Towards the end, we even felt that we could win the game,” he added. The former Premier League star credited the Philippines as a strong opposition but stressed on the need for consistency.

“It was another great experience for everyone. The Philippines are a fantastic national team, and we knew it would be a tough match. They have some very good players and a good team,” Solano noted.

“We have to become more consistent throughout the game. When we have those good moments, when the team is in good shape both defensively and offensively, we have to maintain that level for longer periods.” Solano said matches like these are vital preparation for the future, as Pakistan eyes the upcoming qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup and the FIFA World Cup.

“We are preparing for the future because we know how tough it will be when we start playing qualifiers again, whether for the Asian Cup or the World Cup. These are the kind of matches we will be facing in the future. Like I said, it was a great experience for us,” he said.

Ali Akbar: We still have a chance Goalscorer Ali Akbar Khan, who netted his first international goal to start the comeback, said the team will be closely following the other Group B fixture on Tuesday night to assess their qualification chances. “Our chance to progress is still alive, so we definitely want to watch the match tonight. Vietnam are a fantastic team, with a lot of good players and plenty of experience,” Ali Akbar told The News.

“We’ll see what happens because you never know in football. Depending on the result, our chance could still be there, especially if we can win our last match.”

The winger termed the ASEAN Cup as a fantastic learning curve for Pakistan, who are making their debut in a FIFA tournament.

“It has been a fantastic competition and a great test for us. We will take this experience with us for the future because we need to learn. At this level of football, you have to be 100 percent physically and mentally prepared all the time. It is really difficult to face these kinds of matches,” he said.

“But we are all very pleased and very happy to be part of this tournament. We came here to compete and fight, and it has been a great experience for everyone. Now we’ll see what happens tonight, and then we’ll have time to think about Vietnam and prepare for the next match,” Ali Akbar concluded.

Pakistan, who lost their opener 4-0 to Thailand, now have one point from two matches and will face Vietnam in their final Group B fixture with an outside chance of making it to the next round.

Published in The News, 30 September 2026