Nasir wants right person as women’s team head coach

KARACHI: Pakistan football team former assistant coach Nasir Ismail on Saturday urged the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee (NC) to take input from those coaches involved in the last National Women Championship before finalising the probables for the national team camp in connection with the preparations for the SAFF Women Championship.

“It’s very important for NC to take on board those coaches involved in the last National Women Championship while going for making players selection for the national camp as they are the most updated people and know about players who delivered in the last national event and even still know who are the best,” Nasir told ‘The News’.

Nasir was also the head coach of Masha United in the last National Women Football Championship which was postponed after Ashfaq Group occupied the PFF headquarters in Lahore in March last year.

Masha United had qualified for the semi-finals which could not be conducted due to the Football House occupation issue which had also forced FIFA to suspend Pakistan.

He said that NC should handle such issues professionally so that merit could be ensured in the selection process which would benefit the country eventually.

According to Nasir, while appointing coaches of the national women football team for SAFF Women Football Championship, preference should be given to those top and experienced coaches who were involved in the last National Women Championship.

“Bringing a head coach from outside with no prior experience with any national team will be a huge blunder. Yes if some juniors are given chances then they should be kept in the support staff.

Those who have no experience with the national team should not be appointed directly as head coach of the national women team,” said Nasir, who also worked for years as head coach of the National Bank football team.

He said that the former PFF Director Technical Daniel Limones did not take input from those coaches working on ground while making selection. “He used to seek input from those who were sitting at their homes,” Nasir said. “I used to criticise him because of his approach, not because of any personal grudges.”

Nepal is going to host the SAFF Women Championship in September.