LAHORE, Oct 10: National football training camp to finalize a team for the 14th Asian Cup qualifier and SAFF Championship starts at the Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad from Oct 22.

The Asian event is scheduled to be held on Nov 11 and 18 against Bangladesh on home and away basis. Pakistan will host the SAFF championship at Karachi from Dec 7 to 17.

In all, 63 probables, who had participated in different international, national senior and junior tournaments besides national league have been selected for the camp, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat said on Monday.

“Both assignments in 2005, the AFC Challenge Cup and 10th South Asia Games in 2006 are serious prospects and we are taking all out measures to train our side for attaining desired results,” said Faisal.

He said that more hard work was needed to raise the standard of Pakistan team which had started showing encouraging results after a long gap. Meanwhile, the president has appointed KRL’s Director Sports Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Rafiq as camp commandant. All players are advised to report with original NIC and passport.

Probables:

Goalkeepers: Jaffar Khan, Mehmood Khan (Army), Zahid Iqbal, Asad (WAPDA), Sajid (PWD), Yasir Bin Yunus (NBP).

Defenders: Tanveer Ahmed, Muhammad Shahid, Tanveer Jr, Hafeez, Naveed Akram (WAPDA), Mehmood Khan, Tariq (NBP), Ejaz Ahmed, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Shareef (Army), Faraz (SGP), Wali Khan (Afghan Club), Sammar Ishaq (Panther Club), Asif Masih, Ashfaq Ahmed (PTCL), Tariq Aziz, Hayatullah (KRL), Abdul Salaam (HBL), Muhammad Idrees (KPT).

Midfielders (16) : Atiqur Rehman (KRL), Zahid Hameed, Zakir Hussain, Imran Niazi, Muhammad Essa Jr, Zulfiqar Ali Shah (WAPDA), Hassan Bin Suleman (Wohaib Club), Farooq Shah, Abdul Aziz, Atiq Ullah (NBP), Abdul Nasir (PTCL), Kamal Khan (Afghan Club), Muhammad Zahid (Army), Shahid Shinwari (FATA), Muhammad Iqbal (Police), Sajid Ali (KPT).

Strikers (22): Muhammad Essa (Afghan Club), Imran Hussain, Adnan Bari (Army), Arif Mehmood (WAPDA), Nazeer Ahmed Danga, Kamran Ishaq, Muhammad Ali (HBL), Adeel Ahmed, Bashir Ahmed (PTCL), Usman Sattar (KRL), Nasrullah (Quetta), Haji Muhammad (Muslim Club), Farhan, Amir Shaukat (SGP), Safi Ullah (Peshawar), Abdul Khaliq (Afghan Club), Akhtar Rasool (NBP), Shakir Lashari (KESC), Muhammad Jan (PWD), Waqas Pervaiz (Wohaib Club), Usman Gondal (Leicester City), Yasir Iqbal (Navy).