KARACHI: Pakistan football team’s head coach Mohammed Al Shamlan was barred on Friday from travelling with the team through Israel to Palestine for the Al-Nakba International tournament.

The Bahraini national was unable to get permission from Israeli authorities and was stopped at the Amman airport while the team left for Palestine via road through Israel after landing in the Jordanian capital.

“Shamlan is stuck in Jordan and is yet to receive permission to travel through Israel,” Pakistan Football Federation secretary Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi told Dawn on Friday.

“The team received the visas and have proceeded to Palestine. We’re in talks with officials of the Israel Football Association (IFA) and they have assured us that the matter will be resolved by Sunday.”

That would mean Shamlan will not be on the touch-line for Pakistan’s opening match against Jordan which will be held on Sunday.

Pakistan face hosts Palestine on Tuesday before a game against Sri Lanka two days later and round off their campaign against former Asian champions Iraq on May 17.