- Pakistani diaspora players have reunited in Nepal
- Hassan Bashir, Adnan Yaqoob, Abdullah Iqbal, and Yousuf Butt are among of the foreign players
- Pakistani men’s national team will play for the first time in more than three years
The Pakistani football team’s diaspora players have reunited with the rest of their colleagues in Nepal.
The Pakistani team arrived in Nepal earlier today in preparation for their November 16 friendly match against the national team at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.
Hassan Bashir, Adnan Yaqoob, Abdullah Iqbal, and Yousuf Butt are among of the foreign players that have joined Pakistan’s team. All four players now play club football in Denmark.
The Pakistani men’s national team will play for the first time in more than three years, it should be mentioned.
Look who’s here! 🫶⚽️
Our Diaspora players – Hassan Bashir, Adnan Yaqoob, Abdullah Iqbal and Yousuf Butt have joined us in Nepal! #PakistanFootball #DilSayFootball #ShaheensAreBack #NepvsPak pic.twitter.com/ouxeoBX7GJ
— Pakistan Football Federation (@TheRealPFF) November 14, 2022
The Shaheens last competed on the international stage on June 11, 2019, in the first round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Cambodia, losing 2-1.
Under the direction of head coach Shehzad Anwar, the Pakistani team took part in a rigorous training camp in Lahore prior to their return to international competition.
Hassan Bashir will serve as the team’s captain, with Muhammad Umar Hayat serving as his vice-captain.
Saqib Hanif, Yousuf Ijaz Butt, and Abdul Basit are the goalkeepers on the team. The defenders are Haseeb Khan, Zain (Jr), Sohail Khan, Syed Junaid Shah, Abdullah Shah, Mamoon Musa, and Abdullah Iqbal.
Zain-ul-Abideen, Abdul Qadeer Khan, Alamgir Ghazi, M. Adnan Yaqoob, and Adnan Saeed are the midfielders on the team. Umair Ali is also a midfielder.
The team’s forwards include Shayek Dost, Muhammad Afzaal, Muhammad Waheed, and Muhammad Waleed Khan.
FIFA removes PFF’s embargo
In April 2021, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was subject to a FIFA ban because of excessive third-party intervention. In June of this year, FIFA agreed to suspend the ban.
The Normalization Committee’s (NC) term was also extended by FIFA by a year.
According to FIFA, the normalisation committee’s duties include overseeing the PFF’s daily operations, ensuring proper club registration and scrutiny in Pakistan, drafting and approving an electoral code for the PFF with the help of FIFA and the AFC, organising district and provincial elections, and holding new PFF executive committee elections.
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