ISLAMABAD: After weeks of delay, the National Team Camp finally began at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. With just eight days till the home fixture against Afghanistan, Nolberto Solano will be making his debut as Head Coach of the Senior Team.
Squad Overview
37 players have been called up to the camp by Solano. The squad has attracted social media attention due to the exclusion of Yousuf Butt, who was the best performer for Pakistan in their last match against Myanmar in June and 31 caps. Kaleemullah Khan, who hasn’t played a full 11-a side season in half a decade and is clubless, has been called up to the camp. Former National Team Captain Saddam Hussain, who recently joined a Finnish club, returns to the side.
However, the main inclusions in the squad are Etzaz Hussain, Adil Nabi, Otis Khan and Abdullah Shah, all four weren’t being called up under previous head coach, Stephen Constantine, due to disciplinary reasons. The main addition is Pakistan’s most decorated player in history, Etzaz Hussain, who was one of the first Pakistani players to play in the UEFA Europa League. He even played against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in 2020.
Otis Khan is no stranger to the Pakistan team, having 9 caps under his belt and also having captained the team. Abdullah Shah also returns to the team, for the first time since the 2023 SAFF Championship, after some solid performances with Spartax FC at the CM Gold Cup in July. Auckland City star Haris Zeb, who was set to debut in June but was busy at the FIFA Club World Cup, is set to make his debut.
Youngsters Omer Nawaz, who plays at Wrexham and Faraz Gulzari, who plays at Melbourne City, have also been called up. POPO FC captain, Hayyaan Khattak, has received his maiden callup after strong performances in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers as well as Jevan Khan. Easah Suliman has not been able to fully recover from his ACL injury yet, making him unavailable for selection.
Mjallby AIF star defender, Abdullah Iqbal, has had a strong season in Sweden, gaining attention from Serie A side Cremonese and Championship side QPR. Other callups include Abdul Samad Arshad, Harun Hamid, Rahis Nabi, Mckeal Abdullah, Alamgir Ghazi, Saqib Hanif, Mohib Afridi and others.
Solano’s Senior Team Debut
After a shaky start to his Pakistan career with the U23 team, Solano is set to lead his first senior game. Solano lost all three games in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, losing 8-1 to Iraq and 1-0 to Cambodia and Oman. Despite the harsh scorelines, under Solano, Pakistan showed some promising performances.
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Familiar Face becomes Assistant Coach
Former Pakistan Women’s Team Head Coach, Adeel Rizki, has been appointed as the Assistant Coach of the Men’s Team. Rizki holds an UEFA A License and also founded Karachi City FC in 2021 and Islamabad City FC in 2025. He began his coaching career at Karachi United in 2013, managing both men’s and women’s teams, and remained there till 2016.
He was then appointed as the Women’s team Head Coach in 2022, where he won 5, drew 5 and lost 9. Rizki was in charge when Pakistan won their first ever Olympic Qualifier against Tajikistan. He also managed the team at two SAFF Championships.
Group Overview
Pakistan sits in fourth in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, with defeats against Syria and Myanmar. Pakistan will be playing both home and away games against Afghanistan in the same window, on the 9th and 14th of October respectively. Pakistan lost 1-0 to Syria in the opening game in March and 1-0 to Myanmar in June.
Pakistan’s next game will be against Syria on the 14th of November in Islamabad and the final group game will be in March against Myanmar in Islamabad. With the 2026 SAFF Championship coming, Solano will be aiming to build a strong side for the event.
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