LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has recently announced several appointments for the Pakistan U17 squad. These include Nasir Ismail as Head Coach, Essa Khan as Assistant Coach, and Arooj Butt as Team Manager, marking the first time a female has been appointed to a role in men’s football in Pakistan’s history. These appointments have been made in preparation for the SAFF U17 Championship in September and the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in November.
Nasir Ismail is no stranger to Pakistan football, having previously served as the Assistant Coach of the national team. Nasir played for National Bank Pakistan during his playing days, hanging up his boots in 2003. He began coaching immediately, taking NBP to the Pakistan Premier League after winning the 2004 PFF League. He was later appointed Assistant Coach of the national team in 2005. Additionally, he managed the Pakistan U13 and U14 teams in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The PFF then appointed him as Assistant Coach of the national team again in 2009 and 2011, both terms lasting a year. After an eight-year break, Nasir returned to coaching at Masha United, where he remained until 2022. Nasir Ismail holds an AFC A License.
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Essa Khan is one of the biggest stars in Pakistan’s football history, having scored 11 goals and earned 39 caps. Essa played for several clubs, namely PTV, K-Electric, WAPDA, KRL, and Afghan Chaman. He retired from international football in 2009 during the SAFF Championship. He then transitioned to coaching, obtaining an AFC B License. Essa was appointed as K-Electric’s Assistant Coach in 2017, which led to his appointment as Assistant Coach of the Pakistan national team in 2018. He returned to K-Electric from 2019 to 2020. In 2023, he joined five-time Pakistan Premier League winners KRL as Head Coach.
Arooj Butt has been working with the PFF as a Safeguarding Officer since 2022. She holds multiple child safeguarding certificates from FIFA, AFC, and SAFF. The PFF has made a historic appointment, marking the first time in Pakistan’s history that a female has been appointed to a role in men’s football. On this occasion, PFF President Mohsen Gilani said: “I am proud to see women taking managerial roles in the history of Pakistan football. We believe her presence will inspire more women to take up key roles in football.”
The PFF recently announced trials for the SAFF U17 squad, which will be held in Islamabad on the 13th of August at the Mehran Football Ground. Pakistan will feature in the SAFF U17 Championship from the 15th to the 27th of September, eventually leading to the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in November.
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