Lahore, 15 March: It will be Tariq Lutfi vs Bob Houghton as coaches when the 23rd international soccer encounter between Pakistan and India will be recorded in the fourth AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier on 23 March at Kuala Lumpur. Pakistan are clubbed in Group B and they will take on Turkmenistan on March 21 before locking horns with India, followed by Chinese Taipei (March 25).
Bob included Secundrabad-born Sunil Chhetri who visited Pakistan during 9th SA Games 2004 and scored his first international goal against Pakistan on 12 June 2005 at Ayub Stadium, Quetta. Having scored twice in 15th Asian Cup at Qatar last January, he received much media attention after scoring a hat-trick in the final of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which led to an unsuccessful trial at English club Coventry City and speculation linking him with many European and North American clubs.
India is said to have been interested to host the Group B, but due to Pakistan being in the same group the continental body played it safe and is hosting it in the country that it is based in – Malaysia. Group A will be hosted in Yangon by Myanmar with host, Bangladesh, Palestine and Philippines Group C will be hosted by Maldives in Male. The teams are: Maldives, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Cambodia while Group D will be played in Kathmandu, Nepal with host, North Korea, Sri Lanka, and the winners of the pre-qualification match between Bhutan and Afghanistan. Two teams from each group qualify for the eight team finals. The hosts of the finals will only be decided by the AFC once all the eight qualifiers are decided and one of these nations would host the tournament.
Meanwhile, Pakistan chopped down the squad to twenty two from the 37 probables while India left out most of the younger players, who featured in the Olympic qualifiers against Myanmar, in the 23-member squad announced for the coming show. AIFF had announced 44 probables but pruned down the squad to 23. Those from the Olympic qualifiers team which made it to the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers include Raju Gaekwad and his club mates Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Shilton D’Silva, Jewel Sheikh Raja, Jeje Lalpekhulua and Viva Kerala player CS Sabeeth. The squad still have senior players in the likes of Subrata Pal, Sunil Chhetri, Anwar, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Moirangthem and Steven Dias.
The Probables of both teams:
Pakistan:
Goalkeepers (2): Amir Gul (NBP), Muhammad Omar (KESC)
Defenders (5): Manzoor Ahmed (WAPDA), Alamgir Khan (Police), Atif Bashir Qureshi (Barry Town, Wales), Samar Ishaq (KRL), Zeeshan Rehman (Muangthong United FC, Thailand),
Midfielders (8): Faisal Iqbal (NBP), Syed Arif Hussain (WAPDA), Muhammad Adil (KRL), Mahmood Khan (KRL), Kashif Mumtaz Siddiqui (Fresno Fuego, USA), Abdul Aziz (NBP), Nasr Ullah Khan (PIA), Adnan Farooq Ahmed (Aboomoslem FC, Iran),
Strikers (7): Saddam Hussain (PIA), Jadeed Khan Pathan (WAPDA), Rizwan Asif (KRL), Kalim Ullah (KRL), Imran Niazi (WAPDA), Arif Mehmood (WAPDA), Muhammad Qasim (KRL).
India :
Goalkeepers (3): Arindam Bhattacharya, Subrata Pal, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Defenders (9): Anwar, Nirmal Chhetri, Denzil Franco, Raju Gaekwad, NS Manju, Nalappan Mohanraj, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Moirangthem, Govin Moirangthem.
Midfielders (7): Joaquim Abranches, Shilton D’Silva, Steven Dias, Rakesh Masih, Jewel Sheikh Raja, Baldeep Singh, Jagpreet Singh
Strikers (4): Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhulua, CS Sabeeth, Sushil Kumar Singh.
lollzzz @ Tariq Lutfi vs Bob Houghton as coaches…… hahahaaa…… Tariq Lutfi………. lolzzzzzzz
well well very strong pakistan side though wouldve been strong with thw likes of reis ashraf and the butt brothers but a good side lets hope the line up is right
Chhetri not fully fit yet..hopefully he’l be fit by the first game..its going to be an exciting game against pakistan with a young and energetic indian side!!
Pakistan should play with a combination of 4-3-3
Is this sort of formation really going to work for team like Pakistan.
Not a bad squad, but could have been much stronger. I hope Samar Ishaq will not get any playing time.
Is Zesh there yet?
Not a bad squad, could have done with dropping the 3 young strikers as they havent done anything so far in the last 8weeks with the team. Jadeed, Kalim and Saddam should have been replaced with likes of Rasool, Nomi Martin and Mahmood from WAPDA or even Ahmed. Need some more good finishers which Kalim and Jadeed aren’t.
Not sure on Zesh yet..probably likely to join in Malaysia as Muangthong have AFC Cup game tomorrow.
There is no point in Zesh delaying, as he seems to have fallen out of favor at Muangthong already. A new coach has come in, and Zesh was not given any playing time in their 2-0 TPL win on Sunday. I doubt that he will get any playing time in the AFC Cup match.
Well i did notice that but its only 1 game and you need to be around the new manager to stay under contention. Lets see how they do tomorrow..i can see him getting some time ebcause he did well in their 1st group game and this game is surely lot tougher than TPL..its better to join direct there now rather than come to Pkn and get jet lagged etc..better to get one flight than 2 or 3.
But yes he does need to get these 3 games under his belt as club season is a long one and anything can happen. In the past he was fighting for club place and missing the national team games and missing club games too..a lose situation which didnt do anybody any good.
Sunill Chhetri to face Atif Bulldozer Bashir :)
If Chhetri scored against Bahrain and delt with 6 foot 5 inch Sasa Ognenovski of Australia, i bet he can deal with Atif Bashir.
100 bucks India wins 5 – 0.
Only a 100? Not too confident then, are you? How about betting your entire net value on a 5-0 win to India?
I agree to Shah on his reservations on strikers. They proved a big failure during last several matches. Kaleem, Saddam and Jadeed needs to be changed. We definitely have better scorers.
Seeing above side, I would definitely suggest to include Easa as a striker! Easa is a big plus. Strength, stamina, fitness and above all unmatched experience and excellent track record. No striker has produced the brilliant finishes which he had.
Essa hasn’t scored at international level in quite a while, except for one or two goals from penalty kicks. His time is over. He can play as a playmaker, but to be frank, I can’t think of anyone in or outside Pakistan who can score goals on a regular basis for Pakistan.
Selection of this squad looks strange by having Jadeed Khan Pathan and Samar Ishaq. There should have been some more over seas players. Sad no Yosaf Butt included or Reis Ashraf.
Pakistan needs to improve their midfield play and conversion of scoring chance, also not to miss any penelty. Defence needs proper co-ordination.
Pakistan very badly needs a foriegn coach. About Lutfi at least better than Akhtar Mohiyudin. Also Pakistan needs to play some friendlies before playing such big tournaments.
Agree with Ali Waqar…
there shud be atleast 5-6 oversea players in the playing XI or else it won’t work with 2-3 of them… like it happened in the past…
well half of the ream has got international experience by playing against malaysia thiland and palistine and the team turned to be the better of the two in the leg of the olympic qualifiers without any foregn players playing with the addition of 3 foriegn players the team must be better then the previous games
u don’t get it… do u… playing just 3-4 games doesn’t take you to that level !!!
playing with just 2 or Overseas players won’t help….. 4 sure !!! There should be more in the ground.
well thats what just time will tell
well if we just improve our domestic structure we wont have to rely on overseas players!
we just need a season long league and a season long U-18 league with match telecasting and more facilities and rewards to clubs to attract more talent.You should search your own country in which we have extremely good talent but no proper infra structure. pff should focus on infrastructure and scouting to think long term. stadiums should also have maintainence and friendly tournaments should be arranged regularly!!
Well said.
Pak vs IndiA AT 23 MARCH.. wHY THIS DATE?
to celebrate our divorce
best squad ever only lacking is striker rasool n winger imran
People are saying about our star player Sunil Chetri!!!Yea,really he is very good striker!!!But we also have a extreme well goal keeper,perhaps one of the best in Asia-Subrata Paul!This site is completely mixture of some senior players with young talents!!!So lets hope for the best!!Honestly i want beside India ,Pakistan also go to the next round!!!
I am surprised that your star player Muhammad Essa is not in the squad!!!!!But i am waiting to see performance of your europe based players such as –Zeeshan Rehman ,Kashif Mumtaz Siddiqui, Adnan Farooq Ahmed !!!!But i wanted too see your other european player young talent GK -Yousuf Butt,his brother Yaqoob Butt,Adam Docker, Atif Bashir, Amjad Iqbal, Reis Ashraf and Shabir Khan!!!!!I!!!!!!Do not know why these players did not select!!May be your team would be more strong!!!I do not know much about your coach also!!!
However,last SAFF CUP i liked Pakistans matches!!They Played well!!!All the best for ‘Green Shirts’
Hope ,India and Pakistan both these two neighbors will reach in next round!!!!
People are saying about our star player Sunil Chetri!!!Yea,really he is very good striker!!!But we also have a extreme well goal keeper,perhaps one of the best in Asia-Subrata Paul!This site is completely mixture of some senior players with young talents!!!So lets hope for the best!!Honestly i want beside India ,Pakistan also go to the next round!!!
I am surprised that your star player Muhammad Essa is not in the squad!!!!!But i am waiting to see performance of your europe based players such as –Zeeshan Rehman ,Atif Bashir,Kashif Mumtaz Siddiqui, Adnan Farooq Ahmed !!!!But i wanted too see your other european player young talent GK -Yousuf Butt,his brother Yaqoob Butt,Adam Docker, Amjad Iqbal, Reis Ashraf and Shabir Khan!!!!!I!!!!!!Do not know why these players did not select!!May be your team would be more strong!!!I do not know much about your coach also!!!
However,last SAFF CUP i liked Pakistans matches!!They Played well!!!All the best for ‘Green Shirts’
Hope ,India and Pakistan both these two neighbors will reach in next round!!!!
I want India and Pakistan come to next round and show our people that we are not only Cricket crazy countries but Football also.