Jaffar desires to improve Pakistan’s goalkeeping

KARACHI: Former Pakistan football team captain Jaffar Khan wants to strengthen the country’s goalkeeping department through his coaching.

“It is my desire to become Pakistan’s goalkeeping coach. During my career as a goalkeeper I felt that this sector was highly neglected,” he told ‘The News’ in an interview from Peshawar on Monday.

Jaffar is the best gloveman Pakistan ever produced. The Dera Ismail Khan-born former keeper played more than 150 international matches for the country during his 14-year (1999-2013) career. He also remained Pakistan’s captain for seven years.

Jaffar has a unique record as he did not concede a goal in 16 matches of the Premier League while representing Army in 2006 season.

Jaffar, who played with former Pakistan captain Mohammad Essa, is currently working as goalkeeping coach of Pakistan Army in the ongoing National Challenge Cup in Peshawar.

“I don’t want to work as a team coach. My priority is to limit myself as a goalkeeping coach. I know the complications of this field and can transmit my knowledge to the keepers in the best possible way,” Jaffar said.

Besides having got an AFC License C, Jaffar has also done a specialised goalkeeping course in Bahrain.

He wants to boost his knowledge as goalkeeping coach. “I want to do more courses and it would be great if I got an opportunity to do any such course in Europe,” he said.

In the recently held World Cup qualifiers, Pakistan had the assistance of a Brazilian goalkeeping coach. Jaffar said that a foreigner was not effective in communicating knowledge to the goalkeepers because of the language barrier. “When I get an opportunity to serve as Pakistan’s goalkeeping coach I will be in the best position to teach young goalkeepers and make them more productive,” he said.

Jaffar added that as a player he always tried to give his hundred percent and that if he got an opportunity as Pakistan’s full-time goalkeeping coach he would deliver his services with sincerity. “It’s my mission to go a long way in my own field which I know the best,” he was quick to add.