Pakistan head coach Nolberto Solano says his side must urgently improve their fitness levels after a 4-2 defeat to Vietnam ended their maiden FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign on a losing note. The result left Pakistan bottom of Division I Group B, despite a promising start to the match.
Background
Pakistan were competing in their first-ever FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign, a tournament that gave the team a rare run of matches against regional opposition. Before facing Vietnam, Pakistan had shown flashes of improvement, including a battling draw against the Philippines that had been seen as an encouraging step for a side still rebuilding under difficult domestic conditions.
The Vietnam fixture was Pakistan’s final group match, played at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Vietnam needed a positive result themselves to secure second place in the group and a spot in the third-place playoff, which added extra intensity to a contest that already carried plenty of weight for both sides.
Details
Pakistan started the match brightly and deservedly took the lead in the 31st minute through Mohibullah Afridi, who capitalised on a defensive mix-up to slot the ball past the Vietnam goalkeeper. It capped a strong opening half in which Pakistan looked the more dangerous of the two teams, with wide players Ali Akbar and Abdul Samad causing problems down the flanks.
The second half told a very different story. Vietnam leveled just five minutes after the restart through Long Hai Nguyen, before Duc Hoang Nguyen completed the turnaround in the 57th minute. Bac Dinh Nguyen then extended Vietnam’s lead in the 80th minute, and Hoang Minh Williams added a fourth soon after, putting the result beyond doubt.
Pakistan did pull one goal back in the 88th minute through veteran forward Kaleemullah Khan, but it was little more than a consolation. Vietnam held on to finish second in the group behind Thailand, while Pakistan ended their campaign bottom of the table with a single point from their three matches.
Quotes
Speaking after the match, Solano pointed directly to fitness and a breakdown in defensive shape as the key factors behind the collapse. He said Pakistan’s problems were well understood within the camp, adding that fitness at this level of competition is a different challenge altogether. Despite the result, Solano struck a largely positive tone about the overall experience, saying the tournament had been valuable because it exposed his players to stronger opposition than they typically face, and he expressed hope that more international fixtures would follow.
Impact
The defeat highlights a familiar challenge for Pakistan football: a shortage of regular international matches and domestic league action that leaves players short of the match sharpness needed to sustain performances over 90 minutes against better-conditioned sides. Pakistan have conceded six goals across their last five matches, including four against Thailand earlier in the same tournament, a pattern that supports Solano’s concerns about late-game fitness and defensive discipline.
Regionally, the result also confirms Vietnam and Thailand as the stronger sides in this group, while Pakistan’s campaign, despite finishing without a win, still offered some positives, including the draw against the Philippines and a fighting second-half response against Vietnam that showed character even in defeat.
Conclusion
For Pakistan, the tournament ends with lessons rather than results. Solano’s comments suggest fitness and conditioning will be a priority area heading into future camps, alongside the long-standing calls from within Pakistani football for a more consistent domestic league and greater access to international fixtures. How the federation responds to these concerns in the coming months will likely shape whether this ASEAN Cup campaign becomes a turning point or simply another missed opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why must Pakistan improve its fitness levels after the Vietnam defeat?
Head coach Nolberto Solano identified fitness as a central reason Pakistan lost their lead and conceded three goals in the second half against Vietnam. After controlling large parts of the first half and taking a deserved lead, the team’s intensity dropped noticeably after the break, allowing Vietnam to dominate the remainder of the match. Solano explained that competing at this level requires a different standard of physical conditioning, and he linked the issue to the squad’s limited access to regular high-level matches and consistent domestic league football, both of which affect players’ overall match fitness over a full 90 minutes.
Which team defeated Pakistan in the football match?
Vietnam defeated Pakistan 4-2 in their final group match of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Pakistan had taken an early lead through Mohibullah Afridi, but Vietnam fought back with goals from Long Hai Nguyen, Duc Hoang Nguyen, Bac Dinh Nguyen and Hoang Minh Williams. Kaleemullah Khan scored a late consolation goal for Pakistan in the 88th minute, but it was not enough to prevent the defeat, which left Pakistan bottom of their group.
What was the main concern following Pakistan’s defeat against Vietnam?
The biggest concern raised after the match was Pakistan’s inability to maintain their first-half intensity and defensive structure once Vietnam began applying sustained pressure. Coach Solano specifically pointed to fitness levels and a loss of defensive organisation as the two factors that allowed Vietnam to score three times in a relatively short span after halftime. This has renewed broader conversations about the physical conditioning of Pakistani players, many of whom have limited access to regular competitive football because of ongoing challenges within the country’s domestic league structure.
