The fightback in Bandung and Pakistan football’s reality

When Abdul Samad Arshad cut in past a Philippines defender before shooting the ball along the ground to beat the goalkeeper on Tuesday, it was a moment of disbelief for the Pakistan fans — those in small numbers at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Indonesia, and those watching on screens back home and around the world. The shot — now etched in Pakistan football history as the one that brought the side its first-ever point in a FIFA competition, the FIFA ASEAN Cup, and against a side ranked more than 60 places above it — equalled the scores to 2-2 after Philippines had scored two…