LAHORE: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has invited eight overseas Pakistani players to attend a training camp to prepare for its Group-B qualifiers for the 4th AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers at Kuala Lumpur.

Pakistan will take on Turkmenistan (March 21), India (23 March) and Chinese Taipei (March 25).

The eight players are Yousuf Ejaz Butt (Birkerod IF Skjold, Denmark), Atif Bashir Qureshi (Barry Town, Wales), Reis Ashraf (Buckingham Town FC), Yaqoob Ijaz Butt (Denmark), Zeeshan Rehman (Muangthong United FC, Thailand), Irfan Khan (Bradford Park Avenue Association Football Club, England), Kashif Mumtaz Siddiqui (Fresno Fuego, USA ), Adnan Farooq Ahmed (Aboomoslem FC, Iran). They will be joining 29 home-grown footballer.

“I am sure that Zeeshan Rehman (Muangthong United FC, Thailand) and Atif Bashir (Barry Town FC, Wales) together are rated as most exciting central defenders in South Asia. Atif was outstanding during Colombo's AFC Challenge Cup 2009 while I was really impressed with the potential of Zeeshan during SAFF Championship 2005. Zesh has never represented Pakistan under my coaching but he’s a proven performer,” Pakistan head coach, Tariq Lufti, said.

Pakistan’s most coveted overseas star, Rehman, writing on his blog said: “Its a huge honour to be called up to Play International football again, my last game was in Syria in 2008 in the goaless draw against Iraq in The World Cup Qualifiers.” -APP