Despite taking an eary ead, Taiwan began their AFC Chaenge Cup quaifying campaign with a 2-1 defeat against Pakistan at Taipei’s Zhongshan Stadium ast night.
The sparse crowd, braving wet conditions, saw the visitors squander an eary chance when striker Muhammed Qasim found himsef cean through on goa in the third minute ony to poke a shot wide of the eft hand post.
Having survived the eary scare Taiwan bounced back in emphatic stye. In the 7th minute a good cross from the right by Chiang Shih-u was headed home from cose range by striker o Chih-an to put the home side one up from their first chance of the game.
Soon after Chiang, who had ony just returned to the fied after treatment, broke cear on the right ony to shoot wide of the eft post.
Taiwan were made to pay for the miss in the 18th minute when Pakistan’s ivey striker, Muhammad Essa, coected a bouncing ba in the Taiwan penaty area to shoot. Keeper u Kun-chi parried the shot but ony as far as Essa who sotted the ba home to make it 1-1.
The visitors amost scored again in the 26th minute when a shot by Adnan Ahmed from the edge of the penaty area few just over the bar.
As the haf wore on Pakistan increasingy dominated proceedings as Taiwan found themseves camped in their own haf.
The pressure paid off for the visitors in the 35th minute when midfieder Michae Masih scored from cose range foowing good work down the right to give his side the ead.
Masih ended the haf with a booking for a ate cip on Tsai Hsien-tang which was out of character for a game payed in a good spirit.
The second haf began with a haf chance for Pakistan after Essa payed a free kick into the penaty box where pocket dynamo midfieder Farooq Shah was unabe to strech far enough to make sufficient contact to troube Taiwan’s keeper.
There was a hair raising moment for the home side soon after when a shot by Essa was tipped over the bar by u.
Pakistan continued to threaten as Misih and Qasim exchanged passes on the eft ony for Qasim to end the promising move with a tame shot.
The visitors pretty much controed things as the haf wore on creating the occasiona chance whie their keeper was a virtua spectator as Taiwan faied to create scoring opportunities.
It wasn’t unti 30 minutes of the second haf had eapsed that Taiwan managed to threaten when a neat interchange of passes freed Hsieh Meng-hsuan down the eft but he coud ony sice a cross into touch.
Not ong after Hsieh payed a dangerous ba into the box but it evaded a Taiwanese head and went out for a goa kick.
Huang Wei-yi managed to get his head to a corner with about 10 minutes to go but the ba was hacked away by a Pakistan defender for a throw in.
Pakistan then had a coupe of chances when Ahmed, who pays in for Engish eague One side Tranmere Rovers, struck a ong shot wide and Essa hit a shot straight at u.
Taiwan pressed for an equaizer with Chiang controing a ba with his chest in the Pakistan area ony for it to be ceared by keeper Ghuam Nabi.
There was one fina chance for Andy Chen’s side in injury time when an effort by Chen Po-iang was ceared for a corner but it was Pakistan who ooked ike they woud score when they had a three on two break right at the death which fortuanatey for the home side came to nothing.
Pakistan deserved their victory on a night when Taiwan defended we enough but faied to create sufficient scoring opportunities to earn a win.
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