LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Saturday approved an 18-member squad for the first-ever South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship, scheduled to be hosted by Bangladesh.

Young Rising Stars’ Asmara Habib, HESCO's Naila Rani, and Diya FC's Marium Laghari will earn international caps for the first time while the rest of the squad members have already represented the national team at this year’s 11th South Asian Games.

SAFF is all set to organize the event from December 12, in the small town of Cox’s Bazar near Chittagong.

Pakistan’s squad for the championship includes a host of star performers from the national championship but there has been a lot of talk in the player circle of favoritism on the part of the PFF.

The team includes fast-moving Diya FC spearhead Hajra Khan who won the “Misha Dawood Trophy” during the last national championship, best keeper Syeda Mahapara (Rising Star) and leading markswoman - also of Rising Star - Malaika Noor (9 Goals).

Mejzgaan Orakzai and Mehwish Khan - who attended the FIFA Regional Coaching Course for Women's Football recently at Colombo, Sri Lanka - are also in squad.

India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan will be competing in the tournament.

Pakistan:

Officials: Tariq Lutfi, Nadia Naqvi, Kirin Illyas, Saba Noreen

Players: Syeda Mahpara, Shumaila Sattar, Malaika Noor, Mehwish Khan, Asmara Habib, Nadia Bhatti, Abiha Haider, Humera Nazir, Sana Mahmood, Asmaa Usman, Naila Rani, Shahida Ghulam Raza, Mejzgaan Orakzai, Ishrat Fatima, Hajra Khan, Marium Laghari, Shelyla Baloch, Sehar Zaman. The stand byes are Roshnan Ali and Afshan Altaf.