KARACHI: Pakistan football team suffered a blip in their preparations for next month’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Yemen when they were beaten 2-1 by the Malaysia U-22 side on Thursday.

The Shaheens are touring Malaysia and Thailand before they begin on the road to qualification for the World Cup in Russia with a first-round clash against Yemen.

Mohammed Al Shamlan’s men play the first leg in Doha on March 12 before the return in Lahore five days later.

But the loss to the Malaysia U-22 side will provide Shamlan with a few questions about the side’s finishing ability with Mohammad Riaz missing a few gilt-edged chances before scoring Pakistan’s consolation goal in stoppage-time.

Having started off the tour with a 3-1 win over the hosts’ U-19 outfit on Monday, Pakistan fell behind to a stunning Nazirul Naim free-kick after eight minutes at the UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam, according to the information made available here.

The Malaysia U-22s, who won the four-team Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Bangladesh earlier this month, then had a goal disallowed for off-side before Riaz missed a couple of chances to level the game.

The hosts shaded ball possession by 54 to 46 per cent and Pakistan were made to pay for their missed chances when they went 2-0 up in the 73rd minute before Riaz reduced the arrears late on, heading in Hassan Bashir’s cross.

Pakistan were missing Kyrgyzstan-based trio of Kaleemullah, Mohammad Adil and Saddam Hussain but they are expected to join the squad for the Thailand leg of the tour where Shamlan will be hoping his side regain their confidence ahead of the games against Yemen.

Pakistan play a Thai Premier League side on March 3 before squaring off against Thailand’s U-22 two days later.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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