LAHORE, March 20: A 22-member Pakistan football team will leave for UAE on Tuesday to play friendly matches with local clubs as part of preparations for the AFC Challenge Cup, to be held in Bangladesh from April 1.

The team is visiting UAE on the invitation of the UAE Football Federation.

The host besides providing free tickets also offered free accommodation and transport facilities to Pakistan team from March 21 to March 27.

“The tickets have been received from the UAE and now there is no hurdle in the way of team’s tour,” PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat told Dawn.

“PFF’s main target is to achieve positive results in the remaining qualifiers for the 14th Asian Cup, 10th South Asia Games, 15th Asian Games this year and 2008 Olympic qualifiers and 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification matches,” Faisal said.

The team will return on March 27 and depart for Dhaka the next day.