The Pakistan football team’s preparation for their Asian Cup qualifier against Syria is once again being overshadowed by off-field issues, with reports suggesting that some players are still facing visa problems.
The team is set to depart for Saudi Arabia on Thursday, but unforeseen visa delays have forced the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalization Committee (NC) to revise its original plans. Due to the hold-up in visa processing, head coach Stephen Constantine will now link up with the squad just five days before the match on March 25.
The PFF NC has been working against the clock to secure the necessary travel documents, with visas still pending at the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad. The delay has also impacted some of the diaspora players, who will now join the team in Saudi Arabia instead of being part of the full preparatory camp.
“Originally, we had planned a 12-day training camp in Saudi Arabia ahead of the qualifier, and Stephen was supposed to be there from March 13,” an inside source revealed. “However, due to an overwhelming number of Umrah visa applications, we encountered unexpected delays, which disrupted our scheduling.”
Despite these setbacks, the PFF remains hopeful that all visa issues will be resolved by Wednesday, allowing the Pakistan football team to depart as scheduled.
Along with Constantine, assistant coach Trishan Patel and several other officials will also meet the team in Saudi Arabia.
Off-field challenges are nothing new for the Pakistan football team, which has found itself in limbo time and again. With logistical challenges now affecting their preparation as well, Pakistan will have limited time to train together before facing Syria. Nonetheless, the squad remains focused on delivering a strong performance in the crucial qualifier.
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