K-Electric to send football team abroad

KARACHI: K-Electric plans to send its football team abroad for a week-long tour in order to keep its international exposure intact which is being affected because of no activities at home.

“Hopefully we will be able to provide a tour of seven or ten days to our side,” KE’s Sports Head Mehmood Riaz told ‘The News’ on Thursday.

K-Electric won the National League in 2014, which provided them with an opportunity to feature in the last year’s AFC Cup qualifiers play-offs.

Before the qualifiers KE also featured in a tournament in Dhaka.

But since then Pakistan’s top team has not had any exposure that has worried the management. “It’s very important to keep the players in proper shape, particularly because there are no local football activities,” Riaz said.

“I am searching for certain clubs in Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain who could agree to play a few friendlies with us,” the official said.

Because Pakistan failed to hold its national league last season no national club could feature in the AFC Cup qualifiers play-offs this summer.

The country has failed to hold its league this year as well and it is not likely that any Pakistani club will be part of the AFC Cup qualifiers next year.

If a tour is arranged it is expected that K-Electric’s Nigerian players, Sunday and Wilson, will also be invited. “We have that option,” Riaz said.

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Essa leads K-Electric team which has a few current and former international players.