Faisal criticised for Pakistan’s Football World Cup qualifier defeat

KARACHI: The team that represented Pakistan against Cambodia in 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifiers first round lost both of its matches and the locally endorsed Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) officials are furious.

After losing the first leg 0-2 in Cambodia on June 6, Pakistan received another 2-1 thrashing from a country which has a population of just 16 million. The match was played in Doha, Qatar, because Faisal Saleh Hayat-led PFF is not recognised at home.

The PFF led by Ashfaq Hussain Shah offered Faisal to send a joint team for the tie against Cambodia selected on merit but the latter rejected the proposal. Pakistan played with as many as eight players who do not live in Pakistan.

PFF vice presidents Amir Dogar and Sardar Naveed Haider criticised Faisal for denying Pakistan football players and fans a chance to represent Pakistan and enjoy the game at their home ground.

Naveed said Faisal brought bad name to the country and did a great disservice to football in Pakistan by not letting a national team selected on merit to play while also depriving the country of its chance to host an international game. “Faisal has done a great disservice to Pakistan football for his own interests,” he said. The PFF vice presidents asked Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi and other top government officials to take action against Faisal.