Asian Cup Qualifiers: Pakistan to play Myanmar behind closed doors in Islamabad

KARACHI: Pakistan's last AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026 match against Myanmar, scheduled at the Jinnah Sports Stadium in Islamabad on March 31, will be played behind closed doors, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) announced on Thursday.

According to the PFF, the decision was made in line with the federal government's policy of suspending gatherings of more than 200 people nationwide due to ongoing fuel conservation measures.

"In line with the Pakistan government's policy of suspending gatherings of over 200 people due to the ongoing global and regional situation, which has led to the implementation of austerity and fuel conservation measures, the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Myanmar on March 31 in Islamabad will be played behind closed doors," the PFF said in a statement.

The PFF further shared that all the ticket holders shall receive refunds automatically through the original payment method used at the time of booking.

"All ticket holders will receive refunds automatically through the original payment method used at the time of booking.

The federation also appreciated the overwhelming interest of the fans in attending the upcoming fixture, which will mark the end of Pakistan's AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026 campaign.

"While the Pakistan Football Federation appreciates the wide interest of the fans in attending the match, which will bring the curtain down on the qualifying campaign, we look forward to welcoming them back in the future."

For the unversed, Pakistan are already out of the contention to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup as they sit at the bottom of the Group E standings of the ongoing qualifiers with just two points in five matches.

The Green Shirts suffered defeats against Saudi Arabia and Syria in each of the two legs, while settling for a stalemate against Afghanistan in both their meetings.

In their face-off against Myanmar in the ongoing qualifiers, the national team suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat.