NC calls 48 players to trials for SAG, entry not confirmed yet

KARACHI: With the entry yet to be confirmed, the Normalisation Committee of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Monday called 48 footballers for trials at Islamabad’s Jinnah Stadium for forming Pakistan Under-23 team for featuring in the 13th South Asian Games slated to be held in Nepal from December 1-10.

The Normalisation Committee, appointed by FIFA, asked the players to report at Islamabad by 12pm on Tuesday (today).

Tariq Lutfi has been appointed as the head coach. He will be assisted by former international Haroon Yousuf and Mohammad Arshad. However, no goalkeeping coach has been announced. Lutfi was assistant coach of Pakistan football team when they won the gold medal in the 2006 South Asian Games in Colombo.

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Monday wrote a letter to Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), asking it to confirm sponsorship of PSB for participation of football in the 13th South Asian Games with strength of athletes and officials.

The Board has also been asked to submit with the POA credentials of the players and the officials, including their valid passports, photographs, departmental NOCs and bio-data of players and officials.

Players: Saqib Hanif (SSGC), Ahsanullah (SSGC), Saddam Hussain (SSGC), Saadullah (SSGC), Umair Ali (KRL), Mohammad Omar (NBP), Waqar Ihtisham (KRL), Noor Mohammad (SSGC), Mohammad Sohail (PAF), Iftikhar Ali Khan (KRL), Jadeed Khan Pathan (SSGC), Sher Ali (NBP), Naved Ahmed (Navy), Ansar Abbas (Army), Mohammad Fahim (KRL), Ali Khan Niazi (K-Electric), Mehdi Hassan (PAF), Waseem Asghar (PCAA), Arslaan Ali (KRL), Mohammad Khurrum (WAPDA), Mansoor Khan (PAF), Ali Uzair Mehmood (WAPDA), Zain-ul-Aabdeen Ishfaq (SSGC), Adnan Saeed (WAPDA), Ashfaq Uddin (WAPDA), Abdul Qadeer (KRL), Nasrullah (KRL), Shah Zeb Masood (KRL), Shoaib Nisar (Army), Mohammad Afzal (Army), Shehzad (Army), Sardar Ali (Chaman), Yasir (Nushki), Salman-ul-Haq (Under-19), Mamoon Musa Khan (Under-19), Saeed Khan (KPT), Asadullah (Under-19), Alamgir Khan Ghazi (Under-19), Shayak Dost (Under-19), Mohammad Bilal (Undr-19), Tauqeer-ul-Hasan (Under-19), Mohammad Saleh (Under-19), Zaid Umar (KRL), Mohammad Waheed (PCAA), Farhan Khan (Under-19), Aqib Ali (KU), Samiullah (Army).