Pakistan, Oct. 8 -- The Afghanistan national football team has arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday night to face Pakistan in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifier, scheduled for October 9 at Jinnah Stadium. The team's arrival comes after a brief visa delay that initially raised concerns about the fixture's timely execution. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed that the Afghan squad landed at 7:00 pm local time from Dubai, ensuring all pre-match formalities were completed successfully.

However, earlier in the week, a temporary visa processing delay had cast uncertainty over Afghanistan's participation. Despite the brief setback, coordination between Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and the PF...