Nogueira arrives, sees National Challenge Cup match

KARACHI: Pakistan football team’s newly-hired Brazilian coach Jose Antonio Nogueira reached the city on Wednesday.

After some rest, he rushed to the All Brothers Football Club Ground in Malir to witness the National Challenge Cup match between National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Falcon FC.Nogueira said he was in Pakistan to see the National Challenge Cup.

“I will try my best to keep talented players in the national team and will try to develop a new level of football in Pakistan,” the Brazilian said.His services have been hired for three years. Bahrain Football Association (BFA) has assisted Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) in hiring Nogueira, who has vast experience of coaching both inside and outside Brazil.

But it would not be easy for the Brazilian to put Pakistan team back on track. The suspension of football activities during the last three years badly damaged the game. During the period, no team went abroad and the country also did not have its Premier League.

The National Challenge Cup, too, is being held after three years.The first task before Nogueira is to shortlist players for the camp for the forthcoming international events. Pakistan will feature in the Asian Games in Indonesia in August and September and the SAFF Championships in Bangladesh in September.

A Technical Study Group (TSG) is working to shortlist players for the national camp.The group is headed by Pakistan’s experienced coach Siddiq Sheikh. It includes former Pakistan captain Mohammad Essa.