ISLAMABAD, April 17: Pakistan football coach John Layton Wednesday refrained from predicting the outcome of next week’s Asian Qualifying tournament in Karachi, saying the players couldn’t be judged because of lack of international exposure.
“The team has had no international games to play going into Asian qualifiers and therefore I cannot compare them with players of other teams,” he told Dawn after watching his under-20 side beat Army 2-1 in a warm-up match at the Jinnah Stadium.
One team from among Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would go through to the final rounds in the United Arab Emirates but it appeared the home side wouldn’t be the one.
Layton minced no words in explaining that playing against one another at home was all very well, but an international match is the true test of the players and provides the coach an opportunity to assess the real worth of his players. “The marking is different there, the pattern of play is different,” he pointed out.
He said that international warm-up games against any country would have been helpful, however without that test, it was difficult to say how talented his players were.
Layton, who has finalised his team for the tournament, was not willing to reveal the names of the players as he felt it would be right if the Pakistan Football Federation did so.
Pakistan are due to play against Maldives in their first match next Thursday followed by Sri Lanka Saturday and Bangladesh on Monday.
Meanwhile, all does not seem well at the camp, with no doctor having been provided by the PFF, although the camp is into its third week now, it was observed. Also no liaison officer has been appointed and a physio is said to have been named only on Tuesday.
The players have no proper playing kits and track suits and it does not seem as if this is a team representing Pakistan. The Army side that played the Pakistan Under-20s, were appropriately dressed than the national team.
The PFF officials indeed need to look into these matters promptly and start spending money from their coffers on the players, if at all they want to bring the country into international limelight.
An under-17 camp is also running alongside the under-20s. The juniors are preparing for the Asian Championship in Tajikstan next month.