- AFC match commissioner Kemel Tokabaev inspected Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier against Cambodia.
- If Jinnah Stadium is approved by the AFC, it will mark Pakistan’s first international match at home since 2015.
- Pakistan’s last FIFA World Cup qualifier at home took place in 2011 against Bangladesh.
AFC’s Match Commissioner Kemel Tokabaev paid a visit to Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier against Cambodia, which is scheduled for October 17.
Mohammad Shahid Niyaz, a member of the Pakistan Football Federation’s Normalisation Committee, and several officials from the Pakistan Sports Board accompanied Tokabaev during the inspection.
Tokabaev, hailing from Kyrgyzstan, conducted a thorough assessment of the stadium to ensure it meets FIFA’s criteria for hosting international matches. He also observed the ongoing renovations at the stadium. The final decision regarding the stadium’s suitability will be determined by FIFA and AFC in the coming days.
If Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad is approved by the AFC, it will mark Pakistan’s first international match at home since 2015 when they played a friendly against Afghanistan in Lahore.
Furthermore, this qualifier against Cambodia will be Pakistan’s first FIFA qualifier game at their home ground since 2011.
The 2015 game against Yemen had to be relocated to Bahrain due to a bomb blast in Lahore, while the 2019 match against Cambodia was moved to Qatar due to political turmoil within the PFF. Pakistan’s last FIFA World Cup qualifier at home took place in 2011 against Bangladesh.
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