Pakistan vs Afghanistan prediction, H2H and probable lineups - October 9, 2025
One of the fixtures in the third round of qualifiers for the 2027 Asian Cup will take place on Thursday at the Jinnah Sports Arena in Islamabad, where the Pakistan national team hosts Afghanistan. I'm offering a bet on the outcome of this head-to-head with a strong chance of success.
Match preview
Pakistan continues its painful journey in the Asian qualifiers, still without a single point after two matchdays. The squad sits at the bottom of Group E with a goal difference of -3 and is on a run of eight consecutive defeats since November 2023.
Losses to Syria (0-2) and Myanmar (0-1) have highlighted not only a lack of attacking inspiration but also major defensive issues. The Pakistanis lack squad depth and confidence when playing under pressure. Without a positive result in this match, their hopes of reaching the tournament finals will seriously dwindle.
Afghanistan, while yet to secure a win in the early fixtures, has shown a slightly more promising side. The team lost to Myanmar (1-2) and Syria (0-1), but at least managed to find the back of the net, which puts them ahead of Pakistan in the standings. Vincenzo Annese’s men offer a livelier attacking game, but still struggle to finish their chances and control the tempo.
Nevertheless, the individual quality of certain players and Afghanistan’s ability to compete with stronger opponents point to potential for growth. This clash could be their chance to finally pick up some points, especially against a struggling rival.
Probable lineups
- Pakistan: Butt Y., Hayat M. U., Ikhtisham V., Iqbal A., Khan H., Fazal M., Uzair A., Nabi R., Ghazi A. A. K., Abdulla M., Arshad A
- Afghanistan: Hamidi, Mansor, Arezou, Hamayouni, Ahadi, Nazari, Akbari, Rahimi, Kuhiar, Skandari, Mousavi
Statistics and head-to-head
- In two friendly matches between these teams, each side has claimed one win
- Their last meeting was in February 2015, when Pakistan won 2-1.
- Pakistan has not scored in its last six matches
Prediction
Both teams are going through tough times and are yet to get off the mark, but Afghanistan shows more structure and substance in their play. Pakistan struggles defensively and lacks attacking ideas. In this context, betting on an Afghan victory looks like the smart move.
