KARACHI: Pakistan will kick off their preparations for next month’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Yemen with a friendly match against the Malaysian U-19 team on Monday.

The Pakistan team flew out to Malaysia on Thursday night where they will also play a game against the hosts’ U-23 side three days later.

The team will then travel to Thailand where they will play a couple of games before the first-leg of their first-round 2018 qualifier against Yemen on March 12.

“We play the Malaysian U-19 team at the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) stadium in [the Malaysian city of] Shah Alam tomorrow and we’re hoping for a good result against them before taking on their U-23 side,” Pakistan team manager Asghar Khan Anjum told Dawn from Malaysia on Sunday.

The Pakistan team was joined by Denmark-based Hassan Bashir on Sunday with the striker who was inspirational in guiding the Shaheens to a 2-1 win over Afghanistan in an international friendly earlier this month.

“I was 60 per cent fit for that game [against Afghanistan] but it was great for our confidence ahead of the tie against Yemen,” Hassan, who joined Danish second-division side Svebolle earlier this month, told Dawn.

“The tours of Malaysia and Thailand offer us a good chance to fine-tune for the World Cup qualifier and we should make most of the opportunity we have.”

Hassan joins another Denmark-based player in Nabil Aslam in the Pakistan squad which expects Kyrgyzstan-based trio of Kaleemullah, Mohammed Adil and Saddam Hussain to join the team soon.

“We haven’t heard from them so far,” Anjum added about the FC Dordoi players. “But hopefully they will be joining us soon.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia-based former Pakistan captain and star defender Zesh Rehman “will join the squad for the match against the Malaysian U-23 team which will be played at the UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam”, Asghar added.

Zesh was in action for his club Pahang FA on Saturday when they played out a goalless draw with Sarawak in the Malaysian Super League.

Contrary to earlier reports of Pakistan playing two Thai Premier League sides on March 3 and 5 during their tour of Thailand, Asghar informed that the first game will be against one of the TPL clubs with the other against their U-23 side.

The Shaheens will then return to Lahore before travelling to Doha for the away leg of their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Yemen on March 12 before hosting them in the return in Lahore five days later.

The tours of Malaysia and Thailand are also aimed at helping the Pakistan U-23 side prepare for the qualifiers of the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship later in March.

Pakistan have been drawn in Group ‘B’ for the afore-mentioned qualifiers alongside Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyastan and Turkmenistan.

Published in Dawn February 23rd , 2015

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