The Pakistani men’s national football team is hoping for a fresh start under the new coach, Stephen Constantine, an Englishman who aims to turn the team’s fortunes around. Pakistan is looking to end a three-decade World Cup qualification drought and break a five-year, 13-match losing streak.
Constantine has previously coached India’s national team, where he managed to significantly improve their rankings and help them qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup. However, Pakistan presents a far more challenging task due to the lack of infrastructure, a dysfunctional football league, and administrative issues within the sport.
Despite being the second most popular sport in Pakistan after cricket, football has failed to professionalize domestically and has struggled to keep pace with the sport in other countries, both in Asia and globally. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has been suspended by FIFA twice in the last six years due to political interference, leaving the country without a functioning football league for over a year.
Haroon Malik, the head of the FIFA-led Normalisation Committee, is working to strengthen football administration, hold transparent PFF elections, and provide opportunities for Pakistan to play more matches. After a 14-month suspension, Pakistan is gradually setting up infrastructure and organizing district-level football championships, with plans to announce a top-tier football league by March 2024.
Pakistan’s national team has had a bleak history in World Cup qualifying, with no wins in qualification matches since it first entered in 1990. Political meddling, factionalism, and infighting within the PFF have been major obstacles to the development of football in Pakistan, leading to repeated FIFA suspensions and stalling the progress of the sport.
However, there is some cautious optimism about the future, with the hope that the appointment of Stephen Constantine can lead to an improved performance in the qualifiers. Pakistan is set to face Cambodia in their first-round qualifier, with their coach emphasizing the need for change. The challenges are substantial, but many are hopeful that football in Pakistan can finally see a turnaround and the country can find its place on the world football stage.
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