The Pakistan football team’s preparations for the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers have been postponed due to a delay in the arrival of their English coach, Stephen Constantine, who is still awaiting his Pakistani visa.
According to sources, the Normalization Committee of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has not summoned the players for the camp.
One of Normalization Committee spokespersons said, “Stephen has not yet received his visa but we are hopeful he will receive it soon.”
The spokesperson added, “Initially, we had planned to begin the camp on November 1 but Stephen’s visa issue has impeded the plan. Now NC will discuss it tomorrow, and we hope that Stephen will get his visa tomorrow and then things will become clear.”
Pakistan is set to kick off the second round of their journey with a match against Saudi Arabia in Dammam on November 16. Following their encounter with Saudi Arabia on November 16 in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan will welcome Tajikistan to Islamabad on November 21.
Pakistan is scheduled to host Jordan on March 21, 2024, followed by Jordan hosting Pakistan on March 26. Then, on June 6, Pakistan will be the host for Saudi Arabia, and their final game of the round will be on June 11 when Pakistan travels to Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, on October 17, Pakistan made history by defeating Cambodia 1-0 at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad, securing their spot in the second round, where the top two teams will advance to the third round.