ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Monday launched its Pakistan Women’s Football Strategy 2026-30, aimed at developing the women’s game from grassroots participation to the elite level while creating pathways for players, coaches, referees, administrators and leaders.
Launched under the theme “From Paper to the Pitch”, the strategy is built around five pillars: participation and competitions; player development and high performance; education and capacity development; visibility, engagement and growth; and governance and leadership.
According to the PFF, the women’s football landscape currently includes 62 registered clubs and academies, 673 registered female players and five certified women referees. The last AFC ‘A’ Licence coaching course for women was held in 2020.
PFF president Syed Mohsen Gilani described the launch as a significant moment for the women’s game, noting that the national side had participated in a FIFA event and was now ranked above the men’s team.
“We need to produce players, but we also need coaches, referees, managers and leaders,” Gilani said, pledging to build an ecosystem in which women could pursue different careers within football.
Presenting the strategy, PFF head of women’s football Mejzgaan Orakzai said its central aim was to create a connected pathway from grassroots football to the national team.
The strategy proposes regional training centres, national youth programmes and a Women’s National Team High-Performance Framework, alongside regular international exposure for youth teams and at least 10 international matches annually for the senior side.
It also targets the training and certification of at least 250 female coaches across four regions and increasing the number of registered female referees to 100.
PFF chief operating officer Shahid Khokhar said strategic planning required aligning ambition with reality, while technical director Adeel Rizki stressed the importance of youth development.
Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2026
