Nasir Ismail questions Najeebullah’s appointment

KARACHI: Pakistan football team’s former assistant coach Nasir Ismail has questioned the appointment of Najeebullah Najmi as an assistant to the Iranian instructor for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) License A coaching course which started in Lahore on Friday.
“As per AFC posting rules, for such a course a Licence A coach who has already conducted two License B courses as an instructor is eligible,” Nasir, himself a License A coach, told ‘The News’ in an interview here on Friday.
“I think Najmi has not yet passed his theory papers of his License A course which he attended in Bahrain. Without clearing the theory papers one cannot get his license. If Najmi has been awarded the license without clearing his theory papers it is sheer violation of the rules,” Nasir said.
“The License A course is being held in Pakistan for the first time; it’s an historic moment. The PFF should have posted License A coaches like Siddique Sheikh, Akhtar Mohiuddin, Shehzad Anwar, Tariq Lutfi and I myself am a License A coach,” he elaborated.
The course is being conducted by AFC instructor Ardeshir Pour Nemat. The course, which will complete on May 27, is being attended by 16 coaches from Pakistan, two from Bhutan and one each from the Maldives and Afghanistan.
Nasir rejected the impression that the PFF had been investing in coaches. “The PFF only sends our nominations for coaching courses. I did my License A course a few years ago spending my own resources. I was assisted, to some extent, by my department, National Bank. The PFF had promised that we would be given the expenses of the ticket but so far not a single penny has been given to me,” Nasir said.
“I spent around Rs100,000 and I topped that course,” Nasir said.
“Recently, goalkeeping coaches went to Bahrain for a workshop by purchasing their own tickets. Before that a few coaches went to Bahrain for the AFC License A course and they had also purchased their tickets,” Nasir pointed out.
“Shehzad Anwar is doing his pro-license course and except the ticket for the first module which he was given by the AFC, Shehzad has been purchasing tickets from his own pocket,” Nasir said.
“The AFC gave me and Shehzad tickets when we were going to Uzbekistan for attending an instructor course. And surprisingly we were then not sent for the second phase of the same course,” Nasir said.
He recalled that the PFF stopped paying the AID-27 coaches around three years ago although it has been receiving a hefty amount from the AFC in their name. “Initially, the amount which the AFC used to give PFF in connection with the AID-27 programme was 150,000 dollars which has been increased to 250,000 dollars. Of this, 40 percent is specified for the general administration, 40 percent for coaching staff pay and 20 percent for women development programme,” Nasir disclosed.
“Now when coaches are given assignment the License A coaches get Rs1500 per day, while License B holders get Rs1000 and License C holders Rs750,” he said.
“I am not against the PFF but I am also not its paid employee. I will speak the truth and will fight for the rights of players and coaches,” Nasir said.
He said the PFF Congress had decided that the leading eight teams of the Premier League would be given voting right. “Why is the PFF not giving voting right to the departments which have been playing a key role in football promotion,” Nasir questioned.