Pakistan football squad ready for FIFA World Cup qualifiers

LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has almost finalised the a national football team for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers second round matches against Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan.

The Pakistan’s football team will clash against Saudi Arabia on June 6 in Islamabad at the Jinnah Sports Stadium.

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Pakistan has been diligently preparing, focusing on refining their skills and tactics to confront a more seasoned opponent. However, in a recent match against Saudi Arabia, Pakistan suffered a 4-0 defeat.

Meanwhile, the match against Tajikistan is scheduled for June 11. Considered a formidable opponent, Tajikistan’s team has performed well in recent games. Their match against Jordan ended in a draw on their home ground in Dushanbe.

National football team

Most players on the national squad are overseas Pakistanis. While Denmark-based Abdul Samad Arshad couldn’t secure a spot, several newcomers are set to make their debut with the Pakistan team.

Adam Khan and Makail Abdullah will make their debut with the Pakistan national football team for the qualifiers. Similarly, goalkeeper Yusuf Butt has been confirmed as part of the national squad.

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Rahas Nabi and Haroon Hamid are expected to play important roles in helping Pakistan win during the qualifiers.

According to reports, the rest of the team includes Imran Kayani, Otis Khan, Abdullah Iqbal, Rahas Nabi, Mohammad Fazal, and Haroon Hamid.

The FIFA World Cup qualification process involves national teams competing in matches to earn spots in the final tournament. FIFA’s continental zones, including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Confederation of African Football (CAF), and others, organise these matches.. The number of spots each zone receives depends on the strength of its teams.

Over time, the qualification process has seen more teams joining, resulting in expansions in the final tournament. Initially, participation was by invitation, but now teams compete in zonal qualifiers for fixed spots.

Host nations and defending champions earn automatic berths, while the rest secure their spots through separate qualifying rounds.