Pakistan, Sept. 26 -- Pakistan head coach, Nolberto Solano and captain Abdullah Iqbal has said that they were looking forward to the challenge as the Shaheens made their final preparations for their FIFA ASEAN Cup opener against Thailand on Friday.

The match, which will begin at 4 p.m. (2:00pm PST) on Saturday, will be the first game for the Pakistan men's football team in an official FIFA tournament with the event offering and opportunity for Solano's men to compete against teams much higher than them in the FIFA rankings, said a press release.

"We want to use this opportunity to test ourselves against teams like Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam," Solano said at the pre-match press conference. "It's an honour to be here and we know it...