LAHORE: The Pakistan football team is set to depart for Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday ahead of their first match in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier, where they will face Syria on March 25. The match will be held at a neutral venue in Dammam, following the conclusion of the team’s training camp at the Model Town C Block ground here on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Football Federation’s Norma­lisation Committee confirmed that all team members and supporting staff have received their visas. The squad will board a direct flight from Lahore to Dammam on Thursday night. Head coach Stephen Constantine, who is currently in the UK, will join the team directly in Dammam, as his visa for Pakistan was not issued in time.

The 27-member squad consists of 17 players and officials departing from Lahore, with 10 foreign-based Pakistan footballers scheduled to join the team in Dammam.

Initially, the NC had planned to hold the training camp in Dammam, but due to delays in visa processing, the camp was moved to Lahore. The captain of the team will be announced by Constantine once the team arrives in Dammam.

Pakistan’s opening match against Syria will take place on March 25 at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium in Al-Ahsa. The national team is placed in Group E alongside Syria, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Abdul Basit, Adam Najeeb, Yousuf Ijaz, Saqib Hanif; Defenders: Abdul Rehman, Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suleman, Haseeb Ahmed Khan, Junaid Ahmed Shah, Mamoon Moosa Khan, Mohammad Fazal, Waqar Ihtisam; Midfielders: Alamgir Ali Khan, Ali Uzair Mahmood, Ali Zafar, M. Umar Hayat, Rahis Nabi, Toqeer-ul-Hassan, Umair Ali, Moin Ahmed; Forwards: Fareedullah, Harun Hamid, Imran Shahid Kayani, Mckeal Aroon Abdullah, Abdul Samad Shahzad, Shayak Dost, Mohammad Adeel Younus

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2025