Pakistan football faces tough challenges

KARACHI: Pakistan football faces severe challenges. In the last three years national teams have not played in any international event due to conflict between Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and its rival group. Due to recent decision of the apex court, eventually, domestic football has been resumed and the 24-outfit National Challenge Cup is in progress here. Pakistan have ahead two international events later this summer. The first one is to feature in the Asian Games pencilled in for August 18 to September 2 in Indonesia. And this would be immediately followed by the SAFF Cup in Bangladesh in early September.

In the Asian Games, an under-23 team with only four senior players is allowed to field while full senior side can be fielded in the SAFF Championship, the region’s most important event which Pakistan are yet to win. And how to form these teams from the rusty stuff in short time seems to be a bigger challenge for the newly-hired Brazilian coach Jose Antonio Nogueira who has arrived here a few days ago. And Jose admits that. “Yes, it’s a big challenge. But it’s possible,” Jose told ‘The News’ in an interview.

The Brazilian has been witnessing the Challenge Cup matches and is being assisted by the Technical Study Group (TSG) headed by the country’s most experienced coach Siddique Sheikh.And Jose is keenly witnessing the players and wants some time to know about the philosophy of the players and the PFF.

“I have just arrived and need some time to know the philosophy of the players and the PFF. I am deeply thinking how to make ample recovery to the damage which football has received during the last three years,” said Jose, who has also coached clubs in Japan and even Al-Ahli club of Saudi Arabia.

“Look, it’s easy to recover younger players but it’s difficult to recover seniors. If senior players don’t train for one day they will need three day training for recovery. We will do what is important,” Jose said.

However, he was quick to add that he would be able to form a solid pool of both seniors and juniors for the national duty. Jose intends to pick the fittest of players. “I would look for the fittest players and those who are good performer today,” the coach said.

Responding to a question, Jose said he would get the best points from the football culture of Pakistan in formation of his brigade. “There are different styles of football here. In the past few years Pakistan utilised the services of three foreign coaches who were from different backgrounds and different playing styles. I can’t destroy all things. We will take good things,” he said.

“But look first let me try to understand, receive information and then I will be in a good position to decide,” the coach said.

He also advocated the idea of Pakistan’s exchange programmes with foreign nations. To a query, he said that he would also need foreign tour for his team ahead of the Asian Games and SAFF Cup. “We need good camp and strong opponents. It would be a long process and we will be part of it. And through our coordinated efforts we will try to put the country’s football back on track,” Jose said.

He said that he was here not only to train the national team but also to work with the coaches.Jose’s father Nogueira has also served as coach of Al-Hilal club of Saudi Arabia in the 1980s.

To a question, Jose said that it was possible for him to manage some matches for Pakistan team with Al-Ahli club of Saudi Arabia. “It’s possible,” Jose said. Jose is yet to meet with the PFF chief Faisal Saleh Hayat and secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi. “After meeting with them we will then make a solid plan for the future,” Jose said.