Pakistan held to a draw by Belgium

Published April 14, 2006

CHANGZHOU, (China) April 13: Unfancied gave Pakistan a jolt when they earned a creditable 2-2- draw in the World Cup qualifying round clash on Thursday.

Pakistan had taken a comfortable 2-0 lead just 10 minutes before the end with two field goals by Adnan Zakir (50th) and skipper Muhammad Saqlain in the 59th minute.

But a stirring revival bby the Belgians saw them narrowed the deficit three minutes later through Jean Philippe Brule's penalty corner and snatched the dramatic equaliser in the final seconds.

The goal, however, was disputed by Pakistan camp who lodged a an official protest .

Pakistan team manager, Saeed Khan, contended that the goal was scored after the hooter was sounded to end the match. He later lodged a formal protest in writing to technical official Sun Chengmin.

In another Group A match, England whipped Egypt 6-1 to top the group with six points from two wins. England, who scored an emphatic 5-1 victory over Ireland yesterday, overpowered the Egyptians.

Egypt's consolation goal came in the 56th minute through Sameh Mohamed.

The final fixture of the day saw Ireland pull off an upset 2-1 win over Canada who had looked very impressive despite losing 0-1 to Pakistan on Wednesday. The loss has put a damper on Canada's chances for a place in the final World Cup lineup.—APP

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...