Eight changes in Pak team for match against Jordan [The News]

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan football team arrived in Islamabad Sunday evening to play the FIFA World Cup Qualifying Round match against Jordan at the Jinnah Stadium on March 21, the finalised team saw eight changes from the one that played against Tajikistan on November 21, 2023. The announced team will be the same for the returned match against Jordan on 26th.

Birmingham-born centre-back Easah Suliman, the captain, who had missed the previous two matches against Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan due to injury, is back in the side. Otis Khan, who had captained the side against Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan, is not available due to ankle injury. “Yes, he is suffering from an ankle injury,” a well-placed source told The News.

As many as eight seven diaspora players are part of the squad. Denmark-based defender Mohammad Fazal is a new inclusion in the squad. Two European leading club players Etzaz Hussain and Adil Nabi who have been cleared to play for Pakistan will not be there for the match against Jordan. It is believed that they have set some conditions which were not fulfilled.

The eight players who have been left out of the team to accommodate overseas players include Junaid Shah, Moin, Mohammad Waheed, Ali Zafar, Salman Kaka, Hamza Munir, Zaid Umar and Kamil Marwat. Former Pakistan captain Saddam Hussain who plays in Oman and Abdullah Shah who is one of the recognized Asian players are already out of favour.

Pakistan Squad: Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit, Hassan Ali; Defenders: Easah Suliman, Abdullah Iqbal, Mamoon Musa, Haseeb Khan, Mohammad Saddam, Mohammad Sohail, Omer Rao, Mohammad Fazal, Mohammad Adeel; Midfielders: Rahis Nabi, Harun Hamid, Alamgir Ghazi, Rajab Ali, Ali Uzair, Shayek Dost, Abdul Samad; Forwards: FareedUllah, Waleed Khan, Imran Kayani, Adeel Younis.

Published in The News, 18 March 2024