Pakistan can still host their match against Jordan in Islamabad after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) extended the deadline date for submission of the venue till 2nd February.
Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee now has hope that they can host the match at Jinnah Stadium on March 21 after getting the extension. Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has assured PFF that the seats and floodlights will be installed before the matchday.
In January, PFF announced that the Pakistan football team will play at a neutral venue against Jordan as they are looking for alternative venues due to the inadequate quality of floodlights. The PFF expressed its concerns about the lights because the match will be held during the month of Ramadan in the evening.
There's a new hope that Pakistan can still host its FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Jordan in Islamabad. The AFC has extended the deadline until Feb 2nd to confirm the venue, and the PSB has once again assured PFF that lights and new seats will he installed before the…
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) January 31, 2024
PSB DG, Shoaib Khoso, earlier posted a notification on Twitter, which gave reassurance that the lights will be installed for the match against Jordan in March.
Late in January, 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 match can still be played in Islamabad,” the PFF spokesperson added.
The Pakistan Sports Board has repeatedly given assurances regarding the lights in the past but they have not fulfilled their promises, it still seems unlikely that they will deliver but the latest cutoff date given by the AFC has given hope to the fans and the stakeholders.
