KARACHI, Dec 28: The year not only ended on a dismal note for Pakistan football, but also brought humiliation for the country when AFC slapped ban and fine for fielding over-age players at a youth event.

The sport, loved and played by millions all over the globe, was a victim of neglect as apathetic Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) officials gave it a shabby treatment which it certainly didn’t deserve.

It was the top but inept PFF officials because of whom the game faced two major setbacks at the end of the year. PFF first released the two foreign coaches — John Layton and Jozef Herel — after the suspension of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) development fund programme.

AFC then dropped a bombshell when it imposed a two-year ban on eight Pakistani players and their manager, and fined PFF $10,000 for sending over-age players at the Under-17 Asian championship organized by the UAE in September.

The worst part of the whole episode is the soccer guardians took the decision against renewing coaches contracts despite an option to retain them by utilising FIFA’s one-million-dollar grant.

PFF could have at least retained one of the two coaches given the fact AFC is planning a 12-year development programme which is expected to be launched after a year.

The suspension of the AFC programme, however, came as a blessing in disguise, both for the holier-than-thou PFF officials and the mafia of local coaches which was lobbying for the last three years to return since FIFA chose Pakistan for the grant.

But what the PFF did was ruthless and tantamounts to applying the reverse gear. The step would take football several years back when Pakistan are already languishing almost at the bottom of the world ranking.

It has been few weeks that Layton and Herel left but charge taken by a local coach has started to take its toll.

There is not an iota of doubt that soccer flourished under the foreigners, especially Layton. And that was not only because the Briton was a professional, but he was also qualified and merit prevailed during his tenure despite pressures from different quarters to include favourites into the squad.

It was certainly due to Layton’s professional abilities that Pakistan leapfrogged from 195th to 178th in the world ranking. PFF was also prevented from poking its nose into selection and training matters after abolishing the obsolete selection committee since Layton was a professional deputed by AFC.

PFF, nevertheless, revealed its true colours soon after the foreign coaches left. It is widely believed the probables announced for the next month’s SAFF Gold Cup are not those selected by the former senior team coach Herel.

Newly-appointed coach Tariq Lutfi, who claims himself a professional coach, surprizingly was satisfied with the selection of the camp trainees although he admitted he had no idea about the potential of national players as he was out of touch with the game for quite some time.

Tariq’s attitude shows he is ready to compromise with all the damaging and arbitrary decisions of the PFF to remain at the helm and to travel with the squad for offshore tours at any cost.

While the PFF coffers ballooned with FIFA funds, PFF did not bother to provide quality playing kits to the national Under-20 squad, doctor and kitman at the training camp.

The year finally ended with the biggest ignominy for the country as Asian governing body of the sport imposed fine on PFF and ban on eight players and their manager.

The appointment of two local coaches for the same training camp was another joke the PFF played with the game. The drama ended with coach Akhtar Mohiuddin leaving the camp in protest.

The Goal Project, for which FIFA selected Pakistan last year in May, should have been launched in April this year, is yet to see daylight despite the October deadline given by game’s international body.

More concentration on his political ambitions by soccer chief Mian Mohammad Azhar, and less time and interest in football was another reason the sport suffered during the year.

On the field, the year was pathetic for the seniors, while juniors showed lots of promise.

The senior side which toured Sri Lanka under Herel in March drew 1-1 and 0-0 with Pearl Island side, lost to hosts Under-20 1-0, and returned home after 1-0 and 2-1 defeats by Sri Lanka.

The Under-23 squad returned after learning a football lesson from Kuwait, North Korea and Hong Kong who beat Pakistan 6-0, 5-0 and 3-0 respectively at the Asian Games in Busan.

Layton-built Under-20 side almost qualified for the Asian championship final round but missed when they drew 2-2 with Bangladesh who got through on better goal average.

Pakistan Under-17 defeated Turkmenistan 2-0 and were beaten 4- 0 by Tajikistan in the Asian championship qualifying round. The national side took part in the main round after the suspension of qualifiers Tajikistan by FIFA.

However, they lost to South Korea 3-0, drew 1-1 with Vietnam and were edged out 2-1 by Yemen in the final round organised by the UAE.