PFF drops Saudi camp for Syria clash [Nukta]

by Alam Zeb Safi

Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalization Committee has dropped the idea of holding national men’s football team camp in Saudi Arabia.

The camp for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers game against Syria will now be held in Lahore.

Home-grown footballers have been advised to assemble at the Punjab capital on Thursday (tomorrow).

Nukta has learnt that due to huge rush, as Muslims across the world are going to perform Umrah in Ramadan, visas handling could have been time-consuming and so the PFF decided against taking such a risk.

Pakistan is scheduled to face Syria on March 25 in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, the place where Pakistan had played the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers second round game against Saudi Arabia in November 2023 which Green Shirts lost 4-0.

Sources said that the PFF is also finalizing the venue in Lahore for the camp which will be handled by English coach Stephen Constantine.

“We are working on the rest of the arrangements including camp venue, coach arrival and the matter relating to foreign players joining of the camp. But most probably foreign-based players will join the camp in Al-Ahsa,” a source said.

In the Qualifiers, Pakistan have been clubbed in Group E with Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

Pakistan will begin its journey with an away game against Syria on March 25.

On June 10, Pakistan will host Myanmar in Islamabad while on October 9 Pakistan will host Afghanistan.

On October 14 Pakistan will face Afghanistan in the away show while on November 18 Pakistan will host Syria. This will be followed by Pakistan’s away game against Myanmar on March 31, 2026.

The winners of the group will qualify for the Asian Cup.

Probables

Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit, Adam Khan; Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman, Haseeb Khan, Junaid Shah, Mamoon Moosa, Mohammad Fazal, Abdul Rehman and Waqar Ihtisam; Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Uzair, Ali Zafar, Muhammad Umar Hayat, Rahis Nabi, Toqeer ul Hassan, Umair Ali and Moin Ahmed; Forwards: Fareedullah, Harun Hamid, Imran Kayani, Mckeal Abdullah, Abdul Samad, Shayak Dost and Muhammad Adeel Younas

Published in Nukta, 12 March 2025