Pakistan men’s football team is likely to visit Saudi Arabia next month, January, to play friendly matches against local Saudi clubs, as the national team prepares for its next 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Jordan.
The Pakistan MNT is likely to visit Saudi Arabia next month in January. The squad will comprise only local players, engaging in friendly matches against Saudi local clubs as part of their preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
— Zeeshan Shafi (@izeeshaan3) December 11, 2023
The squad is expected to be comprised of local/Pakistan-based players, as the diaspora players would be busy playing their leagues in Europe.
Yousaf Butt, Abdullah Iqbal, and Abdul Samad play in Denmark, while Otis Khan, Harun Hamid, and Imran Kayani are in the United Kingdom.
Midfielder Rahis Nabi plays in Cyprus, while captain Easah Suliman plays in Azerbaijan, although he’s currently coming back from an injury and wasn’t a part of the matchday squad till four days ago.
Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) posted a visual on X, previously Twitter, yesterday. The visual was indicating that a major update would be provided in the next 24 hours.
Just one more day to the big reveal! 💻⚽️
Can you guess what it is? #pakistanfootball #dilsayfootball pic.twitter.com/T1I1xlhDbu
— Pakistan Football Federation (@TheRealPFF) December 11, 2023
If the audience makes a calculated guess, it might be that the PFF will officially announce the matches today. The schedule might be announced along with the clubs that will play against the national side.
Pakistan-based players, such as Shayek Dost, Alamgir Ghazi, Fareed Ullah, etc. will greatly benefit from these encounters, as the team will feel gelled together during the World Cup qualifiers in March 2024.
