Ex-captain Essa not happy over Pak football affairs

KARACHI: Pakistan football team’s former captain Mohammad Essa on Tuesday lashed out at the Pakistan Football Federation's (PFF) Normalisation Committee for biased steps it has taken so far and said that it would be disastrous for the country's football.

"The PFF NC has destroyed the hopes of Pakistani footballers. We were expecting that the committee will ensure neutrality in its working but it has so far favoured only a single group," Essa told 'The News' in an interview from his home town Chaman.

He said that initially when FIFA appointed NC there was hope that it would work in transparent manner."But now all those hopes have ended. By taking one-sided decisions the NC has failed to pave way for transparent elections. The one-sided steps taken by the NC will create much mess in the provinces and footballers would suffer ultimately," said the former play-maker.

Essa has been the best play-maker of Pakistan's football history. He has led Pakistan solidly throughout his captaincy. He is also acting as coach of the K-Electric. He has also worked as Pakistan senior team's assistant coach.

"FIFA had installed the NC for paving way and holding transparent elections in which it has failed completely. The biggest issue is that such people are part of the PFF NC who don't know football and I question how they would be able to hold elections at various levels when they have no knowledge of the game," Essa said.He said it was now time for football community to protest against the so-called biased decisions of the NC.