Pak team to feature in AFC U-16 Football qualifiers

KARACHI: Pakistan under-16 football team on Thursday flew out of Lahore for Saudi Arabia to feature in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 Football Championship 2020 Qualifiers which will be held at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam, from September 18 to 22.

The 23-member squad underwent a six-week training camp at Lahore under the Brazilian coach Jose Roberto Portella, who had also acted as Pakistan’s senior team trainer during the whole 2018 and 2019 along with the Brazilian coach Jose Nogueira. Pakistan have been bracketed in Group D with Saudi Arabia, Syria and Oman. Pakistan will play their first match on September 18 against Oman.

It will be followed by their matches against Saudi Arabia on September 20 and Syria on September 22. The 47 teams have been divided into two zones: West (West, South and Central) with 25 teams; and East (East and ASEAN) with 22 teams. The eleven group winners and the four best runners-up will qualify for the final tournament. If the final tournament hosts win their group or are among the four best runners-up, the fifth best runner-up also will qualify for the finals. Pakistan team will also play three practice matches against the local clubs in Dammam before starting their journey in the main event, a source said.

FIFA is going to appoint a normalisation committee for Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). The world body has already interviewed a number of candidates from both the parties.

However currently the Under-16 team is being sent by the PFF Secretariat. As per FIFA rules when FIFA decided that it would go for appointing a normalisation committee for the PFF so from that day the PFF ExCo lost its status. However the PFF secretary Col Ahmad Yar Lodhi is still working as secretary. He is also expected to work with the normalisation committee which is expected to be announced soon by FIFA.

Squad: Bilal Rabbani, Usman Ali, Mohib Ullah, Furqan Umar, M Sohaib, Khushal Khan, Ibrahim, M Idrees, Ibad Hussain, M Taha, Saad Khan, Adnan Justin, Sajeel Babar, M Haroon, Saqi Mubligh, Hammad, Shoaib, Iftikhar Ahmed, M Amir Khan, M Umer Butt, Moin Ahmed, Syed Haider Abbas. Officials: Jose Portella (head coach/manager), Asghar Anjum (assistant manager), Nouman Ibrahim (goalkeeping coach), Mehmood Khan, Ghulam Shabbir (both assistant coaches), Dr Adnan (physiotherapist), M Ashraf (media officer).