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Pakistan gear up for historic clash against Saudi Arabia

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AL-AHSA, SAUDI ARABIA: In a first, Pakistan will today take on Saudi Arabia in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the first time in its footballing history, reported The News on Thursday.

The historic game will be played at the Al-Fateh Stadium at 7:30 pm local time.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last played against each other in 1978 at the latter’s home which the Green Shirts were humiliated 6-0.

Jordan and Tajikistan are the other teams in Pakistan’s group.

These four teams will play against each other home and away, the top two nations will progress to the third round while the last two teams qualify for the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers. Being a host country of the 2027 Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia have already qualified for the continent’s major showpiece event.

Pakistan team since its arrival in Saudi Arabi on November 11 has held six training sessions at the Al-Fateh Stadium’s reserve venue. They were joined by their foreign-based players who came in two different groups.

England-based winger Imran Kayani had joined the team in Islamabad and was part of all the training sessions held in the federal capital under English coach Stephen Constantine. The Whitehawk FC player is likely to make his international debut today.

According to team sources, overseas players Harun Hamid, Yousuf Butt, Abdullah Iqbal and Abdul Samad arrived in Saudi Arabia two days ago while Otis Khan and Rahis Nabi checked in at the hotel on Tuesday.

Coach Constantine on Wednesday said that they expect a tough match against the hosts.

“There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia are a tough side and we will try to make our best effort against them,” he said during a pre-match news conference at the Al-Fateh Sports Club.

He said that the time was short for preparation but whatever time they had at their disposal they tried to prepare well.

“We had a few good days here and a week at Islamabad and hopefully we will put in our best,” Stephen said.

He said that Pakistan will badly miss their defender Easah Suliman who has been ruled out for a few weeks due to an injury which he developed while playing in the Azerbaijan league. Constantine refused to disclose who will lead the side.

“When one is down the other comes to take his place,” he said.

The coach sees the game as a big opportunity for Pakistani players to attract foreign scouts.

“They have to play well and when they do well then definitely they may get offers from professional clubs but it’s a great honour to represent one’s country first,” Constantine said.

The second round matches will be held in three phases with the second phase and third phase to be held in March and June respectively.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia have injury woes of their own as Al-Hilal’s winger Salem Al-Dawsari was ruled out of both the games against Pakistan and Jordan due to an ankle injury.

Saudi Arabia’s Italian coach Roberto Mancini said that his team is ready for the show.

“It’s a first official game for us in the Qualifiers. We are ready and you know the first game is always difficult,” Mancini told the news conference.

“I think it is time to put youngsters in the team for the future because we saw many players in three months. And we believe that we have a good young players for the future and it’s important to give them a chance in the important game,” Mancini said.

“My target is to try to play good football. we started well but we played against tough teams and in future this team will progress well,” he said. Since taking charge as Saudi Arabia’s head coach last August his charges have lost three matches of the four they have played. He said that Saudi Arabia will not take Pakistan lightly.

Pakistan squad:

Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Salman-Ul-Haq, Hassan Ali 

Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Haseeb Khan, Mamoon Moosa Khan, Mohibullah, Muhammad Sohail, Muhammad Saddam, Junaid Shah, Rao Umar Hayat, Muhammad Hamza Munir

Midfielders: Rahis Nabi, Alamgir Ghazi, Rajab Ali, Ali Uzair, Imran Kiyani, Harun Hamid

Forwards: Shayak Dost, Otis Khan, Fareed Ullah, Abdul Samad Arshad, Muhammad Waleed Khan, Adeel Younas

Officials: Stephen Constantine (head coach), Rogerio Ramos (goalkeeper coach), Claudio Altieri (performance coach), Muhammad Ali Khan (manager), Azam Khan (doctor), Muhammad Abdullah (physio), Haider Ali (media), Abdul Qayyum (masseur).

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In a parallel dimension, Sharjeena and Rubab are praised by Hania Aamir for Naeema Butt.

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Actors Hania Aamir and Naeema Butt are quite complimentary of one another on social media, which seems to go against their respective reel personas of Rubab and Sharjeena.

On Wednesday, the “Mere Humsafar” actress shared a BTS photo of herself with Butt on Instagram, referencing their on-screen altercation with the comment, “But how dare she speak to my family like that?”

Still, Aamir posted the picture on her stories shortly after, praising her co-star. What an incredible privilege it is to collaborate with a very gifted individual like her for Butt. We are your lifelong supporters, Miss Ma’am.

Haye! Butt answered back to the praises, Be it my Sharjeena. Bring yourself to me, Ma paru sa Gudda. Thank you & I love youuu.”

Naeema butt, Haania Aamir, and Kabhi Main Kabhi TumThe film “Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum” features Aamir and Butt alongside Emmad Irfani and Pakistani icon Fahad Mustafa, who is making a comeback to small screen acting.

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, Tauseeq Haider, Maya Khan, Javed Sheikh, and Bushra Ansari are among the other prominent cast members in the drama.

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Kinza Razzak’s latest video piques viewers’ interest.

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Prominent actress Kinza Razzak uses social media to stay in touch with her followers after quickly capturing their interest with her superb acting abilities.

The “Dilara” actress posted a video to Instagram in which she can be seen cheerfully posing. The feminist outfit in pink is being put up by the diva.

The manner in which Kinza smiled stunned her fans. She captioned the photo, saying, “Life is better in pink.”

Following her, several of her devoted fans left comments filled with compliments and smiley faces.

One person on the internet wrote: “Nice” in the comments area. To express admiration for the actress, a different person posted a series of emoticons.

With over 140,000 followers on Instagram, the actress from “22 Qadam” has demonstrated her unwavering dedication to her career.

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Season 4 of “Mirzapur” is confirmed: Verify the release date.

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‘Mirzapur’, the crime drama that has enthralled global audiences, has been officially renewed for a fourth season.

Prime Video and Excel Media and Entertainment have announced that they are currently in the process of developing the next installment of the series, following the immense success of Season 3. The recent launch of the ‘Mirzapur’ Season 3 bonus episode has generated significant anticipation and conjecture over future developments.

Confirmation has been received for the production of Mirzapur 4.

The announcement of the creation of Season 4 is expected, considering the highly positive reception of Season 3. Nikhil Madhok, the head of India Originals at Prime Video, highlighted the significant influence of the show by claiming that the third season of Mirzapur had surpassed all prior records, including those established by Season 2. This achievement underscores the profound bond that viewers feel with the characters in the show.

Ritesh Sidhwani, a producer at Excel Media and Entertainment, expressed his gratitude by echoing the notion that the response from the audiences has been remarkable. The love and support they received from the start has transformed Mirzapur into a worldwide sensation.

What is the release date for Mirzapur 4?

The precise release date for ‘Mirzapur’ Season 4 is currently unknown, but there is speculation that the new season might not be available until late 2025 or early 2026. The publication schedule for prior seasons has been somewhat erratic, with substantial intervals between them.

There was an almost four-year gap between the airing of Season 2 in October 2020 and the release of Season 3 in July 2024, much to the anticipation of fans. Based on this pattern, it is improbable that a release in 2025 will occur, although there is still a possibility that Karan Anshuman and Puneet Krishna, the developers, may astonish the audience.

Cast members that are coming back

Key characters integral to the ‘Mirzapur’ storyline will make a comeback, much to the anticipation of fans. Pankaj Tripathi will return to play the character of Kaleen Bhaiya, the powerful head of the criminal underworld in Mirzapur. Ali Fazal is set to reprise his role as Guddu Pandit, whose relentless pursuit of power and vengeance has been a central theme in the series. Additional members of the cast who are returning include:

  • Rasika Dugal portrays the character of Beena Tripathi. – Shweta Tripathi plays the role of Golu Gupta.
    Vijay Varma portrays the character of Shatrughan Tyagi.
    Isha Talwar portrays the character of Madhuri Yadav.

Anticipated Elements in ‘Mirzapur 4’

Although the particular storyline specifics for Season 4 of ‘Mirzapur’ are currently undisclosed, it is evident that the conflicts for power and the changes in alliances will continue to escalate. The remarkable survival of Guddu Pandit and the lasting influence of Kaleen Bhaiya indicate that their trajectories will intersect in novel and unforeseen manners.

The series is expected to further delve into the criminal underworld and intricate power dynamics in northern India, which have played a crucial role in its success.

The producers of the widely acclaimed crime series ‘Mirzapur 3’ recently unveiled a supplementary episode on August 30, following a two-month gap since the season’s first broadcast on Prime Video. The episode is advertised as a spectacular comeback of the character Munna Bhaiya, played by Divyendu Sharma. However, it actually consists of a compilation of scenes that were removed from the third season.

The bonus episode commences with Munna Tripathi acknowledging the fervent request from his fans for his reappearance. The departure I made created a significant commotion. I have been informed that our devoted supporters have much longed for my presence. I truly also missed all of you. “Loyalty is of utmost importance to me, and your steadfast support merits a reward,” he declares. Subsequently, he discloses that the episode included previously unreleased footage from ‘Mirzapur 3’.

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