Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalization Committee (NC) finds itself on the edge as FIFA has demanded the finalization of the venue for their much-anticipated World Cup Qualifier against Cambodia within the next 15 days.
According to details, the PFF NC has shortlisted Punjab Stadium in Lahore and Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad as the two possible venues for the all-important clash. People’s Sports Complex and KPT Stadium in Karachi are also being looked at as alternative venues for the blockbuster encounter.
With the first leg set to kick off in Cambodia on 12 October, the return leg, which will be played in Pakistan, is set to be played on 17 October.
Pakistan was drawn against Cambodia in the first round of the World Cup qualifiers, in what is a repeat of the clash for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Pakistan lost the encounter 4-1 on aggregate after the PFF refused to send their main team due to political chaos within the organization.
A win for Pakistan will ensure their qualification in the second round, where they have been drawn in Group G alongside Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tajikistan.
The Men in Green have not played in front of their home crowd in over eight years. The last international match played in the country was in 2015 when Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 2-1. Since then, the Green Shirts have played away from home with international bans in between.
