KARACHI, April 30: Tanveer Ahmad will lead Wapda in the inaugural AFC President’s Cup football which kicks off from May 4 in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu. The defender will have the honour to captain his department at international level after leading Pakistan at Islamic Solidarity Games in Taif, Saudi Arabia, earlier this month. Four Wapda players — Mohammad Shahid, Naveed Akram, Zahid Hameed, Imran Niazi and Arif Mahmood – who played in Taif, have been dropped for the Kathmandu event. Mahmood Ali, Luqman Rashid, Shabbir Hussain and Usman Sattar, who were included in the list of 24 earlier, have been shortlisted.
Wapda, five-time national champions, will become the fourth Pakistani club to compete in Asian Club competition. It was in 1991 Wapda last represented the country in Asia when they participated in 11th Asian Club Championship, losing to Dhaka‘s Muhammadan Sporting Club.
Wapda start their campaign facing Blue Star Club, Sri Lanka, on 5 May at Dasharath Stadium.
SQUAD:
GOALKEEPERS: Majid Mahmood, Asadullah Tariq.
DEFENDERS: Tanveer Ahmad (captain), Mohammad Shahid, Jamshaid Anwar, Dilshad Ali, Adeel, Ghulam Mustafa.
MIDFIELDERS: Mohammad Niaz, Zakir Hussain, Talib Ali, Syed Raza, Naveed Akram, Imran Niazi, Zahid Hameed.
STRIKERS: Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Khuda Bakhsh, Arif Mehmood, Altaf Hussain, Qamar Zaman.
OFFICIALS:
Noorul Huda (Chef-de-mission), Khalid Iqbal Mehmood (manager), Hafiz Sohaib Butt (assistant manager), Khalid Butt, Syed Qasim Raza, Syed Abuzar Hashmi (coaches), Dr. Javed Iqbal Batish (Doctor).
