Zavisa sees no chance for Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan football team’s former coach Zavisa Milosavljevic on Friday said that the Green-shirts had no chance to qualify for the second round of the 2018 Russia World Cup qualifiers after losing their away leg against Yemen 3-1 in Doha on Thursday.
“I would personally like Pakistan to qualify but I think they have no chance after a huge loss in Doha,” Zavisa wrote to this correspondent.
In the second leg which will be held at Punjab Stadium, Lahore, on March 17, Pakistan will have to beat Yemen 2-0 to reach the second round, a job which seems to be too tough.
“Unfortunately, Pakistan lost the game because of no organisation. It was not possible to create a team overnight,” said Zavisa, who is serving as manager of Kyrgyzstan’s top club Dordoi FC.
“The whole last year Pakistan prepared one team and yesterday they fielded another. It shows that the PFF does not know how to plan. Initially, they said they don’t want foreigners and after some time they realised that the team without them would be very weak. The team normally composes through matches and you will have to pass your boys through a certain process for two to three years before fielding them in any big event,” said the Serbian.
“Pakistan lost the game against Yemen in defense phase and in the penalty area where they made several fouls. Yemen hit all three goals on the set-pieces,” he said.
“It will be very difficult for Pakistan to qualify for the group stage. In Lahore, Pakistan will have to attack. The offensive mode will leave a lot of free fields for Yemen’s counter-attacks. At the same time Pakistan don’t have a quality midfielder who can control the game in both directions, the attack and defence,” added Zavisa, who served as Pakistan coach from November 2011 to November 2013.
But in spite of the huge defeat Pakistan team’s manager Asghar Khan Anjum was optimistic about chances of qualifying for the next round. “We made mistakes in the deep, especially in the goalkeeping department, but still we played well. I hope the result in Lahore will be in our favour,” Asghar told this correspondent from Doha on Friday.
“We conceded a goal in the start, which put pressure on us. Our goalies had not been performing well in practice matches. And again our keeper made mistakes as Yemen struck all their goals through set pieces,” said Asghar, who also serves as assistant coach.
When quizzed why they had sent goalkeeping coach Zahid Taj for a course in Bahrain when Pakistan were going to play a major game in Doha, Asghar said: “Actually, it was the last day of the course and Shamlan said that it would be of no use if Zahid came for a day so he should go to Lahore to join the team ahead of the second leg.”
When PFF’s secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi was contacted, he said Zahid had to join the team before the match in Doha. “I will ask the coach what really the matter was when the team will return. But I think it had been decided that Zahid would join the team before the game in Doha,” Lodhi said.
About the release of the former Fulham defender Zeeshan Rehman by his Malaysian club Pahang FA for the second leg, Lodhi said that personally he would not like to have such a player in the team who had no commitment. “I think he will not come to Lahore,” Lodhi said.
Zesh failed to join the team for the first leg because his club had refused to release him as they had to play an AFC Cup game against Global FC of Philippines in Malaysia on Wednesday.
Zesh had also skipped the second leg of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh at Lahore in 2011 citing security problems.
Pakistan held a practice session in Doha on Friday evening.
They will arrive in Lahore around 8:30am on Saturday (today). Yemen will also land in Lahore on Saturday.