KARACHI, Oct 26: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) is expected to sack the two national coaches John Layton and Jozef Herel — a decision which would add to the miseries of the game.

The reason being the suspension of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) development fund programme under which Pakistan, along with 25 nations, were provided the coaches and an executive secretary.

AFC, though, suspended the programme, has given a proposal to the PFF that it can use the FIFA money if it wants the coaches to stay. But, in all probability, the coaches would be released since PFF feels it should not spend FIFA grant on coaches salaries.

The decision to ask the two coaches to pack up and leave would only add problems to an already neglected sport which has experienced noticeable improvement during the last three years after Layton’s arrival.

It is beyond one’s comprehension why the FIFA grant could not be used for paying coaches while the same money has been wasted by the PFF by sending a battalion of officials abroad. PFF last year sent some eight freeloaders as “officials” to Beirut and Bangkok for the World Cup qualifiers.

Pakistan, which is to receive the last $250,000 instalment of $one million from FIFA this year, has been promised by the football’s world governing body of one million dollars more.

The coaches departure, especially Layton’s, would only break the rhythm and the progress of the teams, particularly the juniors have made since 1999.

It was under Layton’s command that Pakistan Under-19 and Under-17 reached the Asian championship main round in 2000 and this year respectively for the first time in history.

Pakistan Under-20 missed by a whisker the final round berth of the Asian contest when they drew 2-2 with Bangladesh who qualified on better goal average earlier this year.

Layton, who also coached the seniors before David Burns joined in March 2000 and after his sacking in January last year, guided the team which earned the first-ever point at World Cup qualifiers by scoring the first goal.

Above all, it is the players who want Layton to stay, rating him the best coach Pakistan ever had. If PFF is experiencing “financial constraints” it could ask FIFA to give few thousand dollars more to pay the coaches.

As for Herel, if PFF is not satisfied with team’s performance at recent Busan Asian Games, he could be retained to be replaced with another foreigner until the AFC resumes its programme.

Pakistan football had several local coaches in the past but the teams never fared so well after the late 1960s. The game fell by the wayside and the rot started to eat the sport.

The foreign coaches are professionals and enjoy full freedom to train and select the squads. But who can give a guarantee the local coach’s hands would not be tied by out-of-vogue selection committee if he is made the incharge.

AFC has prepared a 12-year master plan to raise the standard of football in the continent and a technical study starts probably June next year. The plan is scheduled to begin in 2004.