Sports News Desk: The Pakistan National Football team has commenced its rigorous training camp in preparation for the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 2 home match against Jordan. Under the supervision of head coach Stephen Constantine, the team is diligently honing their skills and tactics for the upcoming encounter.
Goalkeeping coaches Rogerio Ramos and Nauman Ibrahim have been dedicating their efforts to the goalkeepers, while fitness coach Claudio Altieri is ensuring peak performance in preparation for the crucial match.
The training camp, currently underway in Lahore will span over the next few days before moving to Islamabad, where the team will continue their preparations in earnest.
Read More: Pakistan Cricket Team Partners with Pakistan Army for Intensive Training Camp
The Pakistan national football team represents Pakistan in men’s international football in FIFA-authorized events and is controlled by the Pakistan Football Federation, the governing body for football in Pakistan. Pakistan became a member of FIFA in 1948 joining the Asian Football Confederation and its national team debuted in 1950.
Pakistan contests the South Asian Football Federation Championship and South Asian Games, which alternate biennially. Pakistan’s football team has won gold at the South Asian Games in 1989, 1991, 2004 and 2006.
Pakistan has never qualified for any major tournament outside the South Asian region. Football has struggled to gain popularity in Pakistan largely due to the heavy influence of cricket in South Asia.
History
Early years (1950s)
Shortly after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was created, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Patron-in-Chief. PFF received recognition from FIFA in early 1948.
Pakistan visited Iran and Iraq for its international debut in October 1950. Captained by the goalkeeper Osman Jan, Pakistan faced Iran in their first official international game in Tehran, losing 5–1 during the Shah of Iran’s birthday celebrations. Reportedly the Pakistan national team played the match barefoot, which was the norm back in South Asia. Pakistan also engaged in unofficial friendly matches during the tour, defeating Tehran’s Taj FC (now Esteghlal FC) with a 6–1 scoreline and drew 2–2 against a team from Isfahan. In Iraq, due to the Iraqi FA‘s inability to gather a full national team, Pakistan played an unofficial friendly against the club Haris al-Maliki resulting in a 1–1 draw.
Pakistan’s next international outing came in the 1952 Colombo Cup where the team captained by Abdul Wahid Durrani played its first match against India after victories over Ceylon and Burma, which ended in a goalless draw and emerged as joint winners of the tournament after finishing with the same points in the table.
The Pakistan National Football team has commenced its rigorous training camp
