The Pakistan national football team continues to suffer from the Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) persistent mismanagement, with fresh cracks emerging just days before a vital AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in Islamabad.
Scheduled for October 9 at Jinnah Stadium, the home fixture is now under threat due to mounting logistical and financial challenges.
According to journalist Faizan Lakhani, the Afghan team has yet to receive visas for travel to Pakistan. The delay, reportedly caused by internet disruptions in Kabul, has sparked fears that the visitors may not arrive in time for what is a rare international home appearance for Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the PFF is once again grappling with funding shortages, complicating efforts to assemble a competitive squad. FIFA’s development funds remain suspended, pending the submission of two years’ worth of audited financial statements by the federation. As a result, the PFF has been forced to reduce the number of overseas-based players from the originally planned 13 to just five: Harun Hamid, McKeal Abdullah, Ateeq Hussain, Abdullah Iqbal, and Otis Khan.
Head coach Nolberto Solano, who had banked on the foreign contingent to bolster the squad, now faces a tactical rethink. The situation casts a grim shadow over Pakistan football at a time when the team was hoping to lay down a foundation under new leadership.
With administrative hurdles, suspended funding, and visa delays piling up, Pakistan’s preparations for one of its most significant matches in years hang by a thread. If these issues aren’t resolved urgently, the Pakistan football team risks entering the AFC qualifier against Afghanistan under-prepared or worse, seeing the fixture scrapped altogether.