LAHORE, Oct 19: Former Bahrain coach Salman Ahmed Sharida, appointed coach of Pakistan’s senior football team will reach on Sunday, President Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Faisal Saleh Hayat said on Wednesday.

Faisal told Dawn Sharida was likely to join the Pakistan probables in Islamabad on Sunday.

He said the coach’s first assignment would be Asia Cup qualifying round home and away matches against Bangladesh in November and later SAFF championship in Karachi in December.

Sharida as a player had represented Bahrain Under-17 and national teams from 1972 to 1982. He had trained Bahrain Under-17, ‘A’ and national teams for the Asian, Arab and world level competitions.

Eight-nation SAFF championship will be participated by India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and hosts Pakistan.

The PFF president said four-day trials to select Pakistan team for the Asia Cup qualifying round and the SAFF championship would be held in Islamabad from Oct 22.

On the request of PFF president, Bahrain sport authorities have provided three coaches free of cost to Pakistan.

Jassim Mohammed Abbas and Khudair Abdulnabi Shamtoot are two other coaches, who will reach Pakistan after Eid.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Bahrain, the Gulf country will also train Pakistani coaches and referees besides holding training camps for national senior and junior teams in Bahrain.

Faisal said ongoing youth training camp would be shifted to Islamabad from Lahore from Nov 6.

The youth team is preparing for Asian Youth championship qualifying round to be held in Tajikistan in November.

He said both national and the youth teams would play series of matches against each other in Islamabad to prepare for their respective assignments.

Bahrain, he said, would also send its national team to Pakistan next year.