Lahore,15 Jan :
Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has appointed former national men team coach Tariq Lutfi (PIA) as Coach of the National football team for one year today. His last spell for Pakistan men was Pak-India Series six years ago.
His first assignment in 2011 will be Qualifying Round of 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, are scheduled to take place in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012.
Pakistan have been pitted against Malaysia in the Qualifiers with the first leg to be played in Kuala Lumpur on 23 Feb 2011 and the return leg in Pakistan on 9 March 2011. He was also coach of inaugural SAFF Women Championship when Bangladeshi town Cox’s Bazar hosted the event last year.
Tariq, first-ever FIFA Coaching Instructor from South Asia either in men or women soccer arena, is currently manager of PIA football team that finshed third in Pakistan Premier Football League, behind WAPDA (67 pts) and KRL (58).
Having coaching Qualification through Bisham Abbey, Zbigiew Szumuski, Tomi Salave Ivic, B.Trautman, Holger Osiek, Burkhard Ziese, Terry Cassie Dittmer Cramer, Lutfi attended several FIFA and Olympic Courses. He represented Top Division Team PIA from 1976-1985, which is a record nine Time National Champion team, Lutfi was also coach when in 2006, Jordan Football Association (JFA) hosted third Amman international Women Futsal Championship at Jordanian capital of Amman.
Lutfi took over charge of National Men team for the first time in 1985 when A.H. Shahzad-led team toured Dhaka for 2nd SAF Games Dhaka. His coaching skills were brilliant when he created record by winning all three league matches during 5th SAFF championship at Dhaka 2003. His other noticeable coaching assignments were 4th Quaid-i-Azam event, 10th Asian Games at Seoul 1986, 15th World Cup QR, Ist SAFF Championship 1993, 13th Asian Cup, 18th World Cup QR 2003 and Islamic Games, Indo-Pak Series 2005. He was also coach of Pakistan in 26th Asian YU19 Championship 1988 at Bahrain.