After a decade of uncertainty and unrest, the Pakistan Football Federation has finally elected a president at the helm. Syed Mohsen Gilani was crowned the PFF president after winning the election on 27th May 2025. The Shaheens’ first task under the new leadership is to take on Myanmar in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier fixture.
When and where will the match take place?
The match was initially scheduled to take place in Islamabad, but due to the recent presidential elections, PFF had requested to reverse the fixture to give the new leadership ample time to prepare for an international fixture of such a magnitude.
The request was approved by both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). As a result, the Shaheens would travel to Myanmar to face their opponents, whereas the reverse fixture scheduled on 31st March 2026 will now take place in Islamabad.
The Pakistan Football team will take on the hosts, Myanmar, on 10th June at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon. The kickoff is scheduled to take place at 15:30 (PKT).
Pakistan Team News and Lineups:
The PFF named the following provisional squad on 31st May 2025.
Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Hasan Ali
Defenders: Mamoon Moosa Khan, Mohammad Fazal, Waqar Baloch, Abdul Rehman, Rao Umer Hayat, Abdullah Iqbal, Haseeb Ahmed Khan, Mohib Ullah Afridi
Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Harun Hamid, Ali Uzair, Umair Ali, Abdul Samad, Rahis Nabi, Muhammad Zaid Shah
Forwards: Fareedullah, Adeel Younas, McKeal Abdullah, Muhammad Waheed, Shayek Dost, Ali Haider Shah, Rayan Mohammed
Stephen Constantine once again has made some bold decisions by leaving experienced campaigners like Imran Kayani and Otis Khan out of the squad. Imran has been an ever-present in the squad since being picked up for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in 2023. It seems Stephen has not been impressed with his performance against Syria in the last game.
Otis Khan misses out due to disciplinary concerns and his ongoing feud with the manager. Furthermore, Easah Suliman and Muhammad Sadam also miss out as they continue to recover from their injuries. Other than these changes, Constantine has kept the core of the side the same.
Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): Yousuf Butt (GK), Rao Umer Hayat, Abdullah Iqbal, Waqar Baloch, Mohammad Fazal, Shayek Dost, Ali Uzair, Rahis Nabi, Alamgir Ghazi, Abdul Samad, Fareedullah
Myanmar Team News and Lineups:
The following preliminary squad was announced by the Myanmar Football Federation on 23rd May 2025.
Goalkeepers: Zin Nyi Nyi Aung, Chit Min Htwe, Sann Satt Naing, Nay Lin Htet
Defenders: Hein Phyo Win, Thet Hein Soe, Soe Moe Kyaw, Nanda Kyaw, Hein Zeyar Lin, Zwe Khant Min, Thiha Htet Aung, Aung Wanna Soe, Oakkar Naing, Kyaw Thiha Zaw
Midfielders: Kyaw Min Oo, Maung Maung Lwin, Thiha Zaw, Lwin Moe Aung, Aung Naing Win, Hein Htet Aung, Ye Yint Aung, Zaw Win Thein, Myat Kaung Khant, Aung Hlaing Win, Khun Kyaw Zin Hein, Wai Lin Aung, Min Maw Oo
Forwards: Win Naing Tun, Pyae Moe, Than Paing, Aung Kaung Mann
Myanmar’s head coach, Michiteru Mita, has retained the squad that defeated Afghanistan in the last international fixture. His squad boasts a decent blend of homegrown players and overseas players.
The likes of Soe Moe Kyaw, Maung Maung Lwin, Lwin Moe Aung, and Than Paing are core members of the squad and play their club-level football in Thailand.
Maung Maung Lwin is going to be the main threat to Pakistan. The 28-year-old has 71 international caps to his name. He recently scored the winner against Premier League giants, Manchester United, in an exhibition match while playing for ASEAN All Stars XI.
Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Zin Nyi Nyi Aung (GK), Nanda Kyaw, Thiha Htet Aung, Soe Moe Kyaw, Hein Phyo Win, Kyaw Min Oo, Thiha Zaw, Maung Maung Lwin, Lwin Moe Aung, Hein Htet Aung, Than Paing,
Can Pakistan clinch its debut AFC Qualifier win under the leadership of the new PFF President?
Myanmar is currently ranked 162nd in the FIFA Rankings, whereas Pakistan is ranked 198th. There is a huge difference between the two sides, but at the same time, this is the lowest-ranked opponent that Shaheens will be facing since playing against Cambodia.
So, there is a decent chance that the Men in Green may cause an upset on Tuesday afternoon. Furthermore, the home side has managed to win only 3 of its last 13 games. So, they are a bit inconsistent, and there is certainly room for Constantine to exploit this and produce a meaningful result for Pakistan.
Although there is a potential vulnerability to be exploited, at the same time, the Men in Green have not been performing well lately. The Shaheens are currently winless in their last seven games. It is a run that stretches as far as the Cambodia game in 2023.
Moreover, the local Pakistani players still do not have access to a proper domestic league, hence, they lack the experience of playing competitive football week in and week out. Whereas Myanmar has a competitive league of its own, so its local players have plenty of game time under their belts.
Nonetheless, Stephen would be hoping that the diaspora players can inspire the local players and help Pakistan to produce a positive result. Also, with the new PFF president taking over the helm, the Pakistan fans would be hoping that the much-needed domestic league can be restored as soon as possible.
