KARACHI: Nolberto Solano’s last managerial job might have not gone too well but the Newcastle United legend will look to turn a page on that when he takes over as the head coach of Pakistan’s senior and under-23 teams next month.

Solano is the first major appointment by the freshly-elected Pakistan Football Federation leadership with president Mohsen Gilani telling Dawn on Monday that he expected the former Peru winger to help the national team reach new heights.

“He will bring more zest and energy to the national team … especially in our style of play,” Mohsen added, noting Solano’s experience as the assistant coach of the Peruvian national team.

During his seven-year stint as assistant to Ricardo Gareca, Solano helped his country qualify for their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 36 years as Peru made it to the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Solano, who also helmed the under-23 side, stayed till 2022, leaving after Peru fell to Australia in an intercontinental playoff for the World Cup that year in Qatar.

Since then he’s had unimpressive spells with Swedish second-tier side AFC Eskilstuna and Blyth Spartans in England’s seventh tier. In the latter, he was sacked after just six games.

The Pakistan job offers Solano, who was nicknamed ‘Maestrito’ [Little Master] by Argentine icon Diego Maradona during his playing days, a chance to rebuild his coaching career and his immediate assignment would be taking charge of the under-23 team.

Pakistan are due to face hosts Cambodia, Iraq and Oman in Group ‘G’ in the qualifiers for the 2026 AFC Under-23 Asian Cup in September.

With the senior team, Solano will take over from Stephen Constantine and oversee the remainder of Pakistan’s 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign, starting with a double-header against Afghanistan in October.

Constantine, who famously led Pakistan to their first-ever victory in a World Cup qualifier in October 2023, had been on a game-to-game basis with the team after his one-year contract ended in November last year. The Englishman has applied for the vacant head-coach job in India.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025