Pakistan made their international futsal debut back in October, at the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers. However, the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) is all set to host its inaugural futsal championship in Thailand.
Pakistan’s Futsal Debut
In October, Saudi Arabia hosted Pakistan, Chinese Taipei and Iraq in Group D of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers. Pakistan, unfortunately, lost all three of their games. In the opening game, Pakistan faced Iraq, losing 8-1, though they did score their first-ever international goal, courtesy of Ali Riaz Khan.
In the second game, Pakistan played the hosts, Saudi Arabia, losing 13-0. Ending their campaign, Chinese Taipei beat Pakistan 4-0. However, it is important to note that the team could only hold a few days of their training camp, which was held at NUMS’ campus.
PFF’s preparation for the SAFF Futsal Championship
On December 15, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) announced the appointment of Ali Imani as the Head Coach of the Men’s Futsal Team. Being a former Iranian National player and an AFC Level 3 Licensed coach, Imani is one of the best futsal coaches in the world.
The previous Head Coach, Sakhawat Ali, will serve as Assistant Coach this time around. In addition, Murtaza Hussain and Asadullah have been newly appointed as Assistant Coaches. Faizan Sameer will continue to serve as the Team Manager, having also prioritised this role over a Manchester City campaign under Pep Guardiola.
The training camp began on December 20 at the Liaqat Gymnasium in Islamabad and will last till January 11.
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Squad Overview
Most of the previous squad has been retained with some additions. Before the camp, Abdullah Shah and Hayyaan Khattak were given a call-up. However, after the advice of Men’s Senior Team Head Coach, Nolberto Solano, both backed out, given the vast differences between Futsal and Football. Zohair Altaf Gondal, who captained the side in the Chinese Taipei fixture, will not feature due to a personal commitment.
In addition, Rajab Hazara and Ali Agha have also been included. SA Gardens are represented by Shazil, Asif, Salar and Hanan. Hassan Zafar, Hamza Nusrat, Muhammad bin Masud and Nisar Hussain represent Team Eighteen. From Karachi’s Abdul FC, Zaid Khan, Shams Taj, Humza Khan and Shahmeer Armaan are in the preliminary squad. Umer Saeed, Adan and Tahir are featuring from Maidan FC.
Schedule and Format
The SAFF Futsal Championship will feature all seven SAFF nations, running from January 14 to 26. The event will be held at the Nonthaburi Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Pakistan will begin their campaign on the 14th of January, taking on the Maldives, followed by a game against Bhutan and Sri Lanka on the 16th and 18th. They will face Nepal on the 20th and Bangladesh on the 22nd. Pakistan will end their campaign against arch-rivals India on January 24. With this format, each team will play a guaranteed six games. The team with the most points at the end will be crowned champions.
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