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LAHORE, Nov 28: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has allotted Pakistan the qualifying round of the AFC under-20 championship.
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was also the candidate for hosting the AFC Under-17 tournament qualifying round but it has been allotted to Uzbekistan.
The AFC allotted the event to Pakistan at its meeting in Malaysia.
The Under-20 qualifiers will be organized at Karachi’s People’s Stadium from April 26 to May 3. Besides Pakistan the other teams which will take part in the qualifying round are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
A PFF official said said that the AFC had decided to give a final chance to English coach John Layton to inform his arrival programme to Pakistan to restart coaching of the Pakistan senior and junior teams.
The coach will be advised to confirm his availability in one week to the AFC, otherwise two coaches from Eastern Europe would be provided to Pakistan, the official said.
The AFC had provided two coaches to Pakistan, David Burns and John Layton. Burns had left the country early this year after developing differences with the PFF, while Layton returned back home in the wake of US led attacks on Afghanistan.
The PFF official said the AFC had strictly advised the PFF to revive National League as soon as possible.
He said that the AFC had approved the PFF calender of activities, but stressed for the National League.
He said that he had told the AFC that the PFF was organising league at district level, but the Asian game governing body insisted for the National League.
He admitted that it was an important activity but the PFF did not have proper sponsorship for such activity.
The AFC, he said also given green signal to the PFF to host Quaid-i-Azam international football tournament next year. It would be held most probably at Karachi in May next year.
The invitation, he said, had been extended to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Maldives for this tournament, he said.
SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR: Regarding the proposed tour of the Pakistan senior team to South Africa in February, the officials said that the chances were dim.
He said that England based company Sphere which was arranging the tour was reluctant to send any representative to Pakistan in view of security concerns.
He said that the Sphere had stopped the arrears of the PFF amounting to 5,000 pounds which were yet to be paid by them for the Pakistan senior team tour of England in March. The sponsors had promised that the arrears would be released after settling the South African tour of Pakistan senior team.
PROBABLES: Meanwhile, except seven players of Army all other probables have reported to the national football training camp which is in progress at the Model Town ground.
In all, 38 probables were invited to pick Pakistan senior and under-23 teams for two separate forthcoming international activities.
Later, four probables from Punjab were also invited but only two came to raise the number of probables to 40.
The camp-commandant and coach Siddique Sheikh said that the probables from Army were to join the camp on Wednesday but no one reported at yet.
Seven players of Army who are missing the camp are Jaffar Khan, Aamir Shahzad, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Riaz, Ghulam Ali, Zahoor and Shahbaz. Only one player of Army Arif could report to the camp.
The coach Siddique Sheikh said that the medical fitness test of all the players would be conducted at a local health club on Saturday.
