Sports Correspondent – The News
KARACHI: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) took a big U-turn and got an extra quota place in order to send Akhtar Mohiuddin for the AFC Licence A coaching course in Bahrain.
Earlier, the PFF had dropped him from the list of the coaches going to Bahrain because they had obtained only four places.
Akhtar left for Bahrain on Monday night to attend the course being held there from March 31 to April 11 and from April 19 to 30.
Hasan Baloch, Sajjad Mehmood and Mohammad Habib had already left for Bahrain. Najeebullah Najmi flew from Peshawar on Monday.
“I am very thankful to Pakistan coach Mohammed Shamlan and PFF secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi, who took keen interest and helped me,” Akhtar told ‘The News’.
“Shamlan sent me visa and after a great struggle I got the ticket today and am now leaving for Bahrain,” said Akhtar, who served as Pakistan coach at 2010 Asian Games, 2008 SAFF Cup, the World Cup Qualifiers 2007 and the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in 2008.
At the World Cup Qualifiers in 2007 in Aleppo, Pakistan stunned the then Asian Champions Iraq by holding them to a goalless draw in their away leg, which improved the country’s rankings by 15 places.
He also guided Pakistan to a series win against India in 2005. Pakistan have only four Licence A coaches at the moment: Tariq Lutfi, Sidddiq Sheikh, Nasir Ismail and Shehzad Anwar.