Pakistan Football Federation Normalization Committee PFF (NC) hinted that there is a high possibility that the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match against Jordan can still be held in Islamabad.
PFF’s social media post instigated an outcry in large numbers from Pakistani football fans which stated that the Jinnah Stadium Islamabad could not host the match against Jordan during Ramadan due to inadequate quality of floodlights, which has been a longstanding issue.
Dear Football Community of Pakistan,
We would like to provide an important update regarding our upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 2 match against Jordan. pic.twitter.com/kWgAuXHWFb
— Pakistan Football Federation (@TheRealPFF) January 22, 2024
However, according to the latest update, a PFF NC Spokesperson stated, “The match can still be played in Islamabad.”
The PFF NC Spokesperson further gave assurance that the January 21 deadline was not set by FIFA, “according to the rules, we have to inform them thoroughly about the potential venue two months before the game”.
The tweet by PFF indicated that they were facing difficulties in installing the light with the current setup and the deadline for the submission of the venue was on January 21, which meant that FIFA lighting standards could not be met for the game against Jordan in March.
Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General refuted the claims and stated, “The assurances had been sent to the PFF NC and we are sure that we will complete the work that needs to be done in time for the game.”
PSB DG, Shoaib Khoso, earlier posted a notification on X, formerly known as Twitter which gave reassurance that the lights will be installed for the match in March.
— shoaib khoso (@shoaybkhoso) January 22, 2024
The relationship between the government and PFF NC has been problematic for a long time and there has been a continuous tug-of-war between the two sides since PFF NC was appointed by FIFA in 2021.
The FIFA World Cup Qualifier Round 2 match between Pakistan and Jordan will be held on March 21.
