Pakistan national football team

Pakistan
Nickname(s)	The Greenshirts
Association	Pakistan Football Federation
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Head coach	György Kottán
Asst coach	Nasir Ismail; Shahzad Anwar
Captain	Muhammad Essa
Top scorer	Muhammad Essa (20)
Home stadium	Punjab Stadium (64 000)
FIFA code	PAK
FIFA ranking	167
Highest FIFA ranking	141 (February 1994)
Lowest FIFA ranking	192 (May 2004)
Elo ranking	192
Highest Elo ranking	80 (April 1952 and August 1960)
Lowest Elo ranking	208 (May 2001 to March 2002)
Home colours	Away colours
First international
	Iran 5 - 1 Pakistan ; (Tehran, Iran; January 6, 1950)
Biggest win
	Pakistan 7 - 0 Thailand ; (Kuala Lumpur, Malaya; August 9, 1960); Pakistan 9 - 2 Guam ; (Taipei, Chinese Taipei; April 6, 2008)
Biggest defeat
	Iran 9 - 1 Pakistan ; (Teheran, Iran; March 12, 1969); Iraq 8 - 0 Pakistan ; (Irbid, Jordan; May 28, 1993)
South Asian Football Federation Cup
Appearances	7 (First in 1993)
Best result	Third - 1997, 2005
Men’s Football
South Asian Games

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Pakistan national football team is the national team of Pakistan it is controlled by the PFF it is a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

It has not yet qualified for either the FIFA World Cup or Asian Cup championships. This state of affairs may be attributable in part to the big popularity of cricket, along with the PFF's own lacklustre handling of football in Pakistan over the greater part of the last five decades since the time of independence in 1947.

The Greenshirts have finished third in the South Asian Football Federation Cup, twice. They also were Merdeka Cup runners up in 1962 and twice finish second in the Quaid-i-Azam Tournament. Pakistan’s traditional rivals are India^{[citation needed]} and matches between the two are known for being tense, and although the Indian team has a larger edge, there have been hard fought battles on the pitch.^{[citation needed]}

Pakistan were one of the best sides in Asia but by the late 60's the lack of funding and infrastructure meant Pakistan's national side had fallen behind many other teams they used to beat. By the 80’s, Pakistan’s best players had retired, and with a crumbling infrastructure the team hit rock bottom.

However, at the turn of the century the Pakistani government and the PFF have invested more into football. A new football league was launched, and investment from FIFA’s Goal Project to improve the infrastructure within Pakistan have helped.

On 7 December, 2005 English Premier League defender Zeshan Rehman who played for Fulham (now with QPR) made his debut for the Pakistani team, becoming the first Pakistani international footballer to play professional football in England. Currently the PFF is targeting usage of more players of Pakistani descent playing football in foreign leagues with the help of third party contacts, to allow them to represent Pakistan internationally and boost profile of football in the country. Players like Adnan Ahmed and Amjad Iqbal have chosen to represent Pakistan at the international level.

[edit] History

[edit] 1950’s

Pakistan travelled to Iran and played their first international against the Iran national football team on January 6, 1950 in which Pakistan fell to a 5-1 defeat. It was another 2 years before they played another fixture. They went to Ceylon to play in the Colombo Cup and were held to goalless draw in the first match against India. They then beat hosts Ceylon 2-0 to record their first ever victory. A 1-0 win in their final match against Burma led them to become joint champions in the Colombo Cup with India.

Pakistan then hosted Iran in April and this time the Greenshirts showed a remarkable improvement by drawing nil-nil. The following year Pakistan were runners-up in the Colombo Cup, this included a memorable 6-0 win against Ceylon in Rangoon. In 1954, after again becoming runners up in the Colombo Cup, Pakistan defeated Singapore 6-2 in the Asian Games; this followed 2-1 loss to Burma. In the final edition of the Colombo Cup, the Greenshirts ended as bridesmaids for the third year in a row to India. Pakistan failed to progress in the 1958 Asian Games after being defeated by Chinese Taipei 3-1 and a 1-1 draw to South Vietnam.

In 1959, they failed to qualify for the Asian Cup, after a 4-1 loss by Iran, 1-0 defeat to India and 2-0 loss to Israel. However, in the later fixtures Pakistan were able to turn thing around and won their first ever match against India when they defeated them 1-0, and were able to reverse the score in the second match against by Iran with a 4-1 victory and held Israel to a 2-2 draw.

[edit] 1960s

Several months later, the Greenshirts travelled to Malaya for the Merdeka Cup. They started with thumping Thailand 7-0, which still is a Pakistani record. It was followed by a 1-0 loss to the hosts Malaya, then a 3-1 victory over Japan and finally a 4-0 defeat to Indonesia. Pakistan returned to the Merdeka Cup two years later and this time reached the final against Indonesia but succumbed to 2-1 defeat. This marked the beginning of the end of Pakistan being one of the top sides of Asian football.

It was three years before Pakistan played a competitive fixture, when they played in the first RDC Cup and finished third. In 1967, they played a series of friendlies against Saudi Arabia, all ending in draws. Later in the year Pakistan lost their Asian Cup qualifiers against Burma and Khmer and drew their final match against India. They then hosted the second RDC Cup and finished third, which included the 4-7 defeat to Turkey. In 1969, they travelled to Iran to take part in friendly tournament, which apart from the 2-1 win against Iraq was a disaster, as they were completely outplayed in a record 9-1 defeat by Iran.

[edit] 1970’s

In the early 70’s the national side participation seemed restricted to the RDC Cup and the 1974 Asian Games plus one friendly against South Korea in 1978. In the few games they played, most were heavy defeats. The lack domestic infrastructure, poor management by the PFF and the failure to participate in international tournaments such as the World Cup qualifiers had left the national side in ruin. The most notable result in this period being a 2-2 draw against Turkey.

[edit] 1980’s

This era saw Pakistan return to the international fold, and saw gradual improvements in the national team. Taking part in the Kings Cup in 1982, they secured a goalless draw against Indonesia. It was the Greenshirts first clean sheet since 1962. After a loss to Thailand, they followed it up with a 3-2 victory versus Malaysia. They lost a close game against the Chinese, however, they were able to win 1-0 in their final game against Singapore.

Pakistan hosted a friendly tournament involving Iran, Bangladesh, Oman and Nepal in 1982. The Greenshirts started off with a 2-1 over Bangladesh. They lost to Iran, but came back and beat Nepal 2-0. The last game against Oman ended nil-nil and ended the tournament as runners-up. However, in 1984, the national team took a step back, losing 4 out of 5 games in the Asian Cup qualifiers, apart from beating North Yemen 4-1.

The Greenshirts hosted another tournament in 1985, this time inviting North Korea, Indonesia, with Bangladesh and Nepal returning. A surprise goalless draw against the North Koreans boosted the side, and they beat Nepal 1-0. However, losses in the final two games against Bangladesh and Indonesia meant they ended as runners up. In the South Asian Games, Pakistan ended forth after losing a penalty shoot out to Nepal.

In the 1986 Asian Games, Pakistan lost all their games. However, a year later national side was more successful at the South Asian Games, winning the bronze medal match against Bangladesh 1-0. In 1988, they lost all their Asian Cup qualifiers. In a first, Pakistan made their first attempt to qualifiers for the World Cup in 1989. However, they were unable to win any of their matches. The Greenshirts bounced back, when several months later they took Gold at the South Asian Games, beating Bangladesh 1-0 in the final.

[edit] 1990’s

The Greenshirts had another early exit in the Asian Games, losing all three games in 1990. In the 1991 South Asian Games, Pakistan beat the Maldives in the final 2-0 to win their second Gold. By this stage, the team had become one of whipping boys of Asia, with victories only restricted to regional teams. The next year they failed to qualify for another Asian Cup after defeats in both qualifiers, this followed a disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign in 1993 where in one game they lost to Iraq 8-0. Later in the year the first SAFF Cup took place, and the Greenshirts finished forth. Then at the 1993 South Asian Games, they were unable to get past the group stage.

In 1995, Pakistan went out of the SAFF Cup group stage on goal difference. Between 1996 and 1997, the Greenshirts lost all their Asian Cup and World Cup qualifying games. Pakistan came third in the 1997 SAFF Cup, thanks to a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the third place playoff. The 1999 SAFF Cup went poorly, went they came bottom of their group, and things didn’t get better as the Greenshirts also failed to get out of the group stage of the final South Asian Games to hold full internationals.

[edit] 2000’s

The start of the century continued where the last left off for the national side with Pakistan unable to win any of their Asian Cup qualifiers. The following year, in 2001, Pakistan achieved their first point in World Cup qualification, thanks to a hat-trick by Gohar Zaman against Sri Lanka in the 3-3 draw, however all other matches ended in defeat.

In 2002, Pakistan played in an unsuccessful 4 match series against Sri Lanka. At the 2003 SAFF Cup, a Sarfraz Rasool inspired Pakistan finish fourth, losing 2-1 in extra time to India in the third place playoff. Later in the year, Pakistan won their first Asian Cup qualifier with a 3-0 over Macao, but still were unable to qualify. They round off the year with defeats to Kyrgyzstan in the World Cup qualifiers.

2004 saw changes in Pakistan football, with at new administration in place by this time and a new national league up and running. And it didn’t take long for the results to show with a successful three match series victory against India, the final match ending 3-0 to the Greenshirts. They went on the reach the semi-finals of the 2005 SAFF Cup, with English-born Premier League defender Zesh Rehman making waves for Pakistan. They lost the semifinal against defending champion Bangladesh by 0-1 margin.

The Pakistan team began showing some fight and although they lost they’re first two Asian Cup qualifiers in 2006, they didn’t go down easily. In between the Asian Cup matches, they took part in the first AFC Challenge Cup 2006. They failed to get past the group stage, but surprised Kyrgyzstan by defeating them 1-0. Back at the Asian Cup qualifiers, they lost their remaining fixtures. However, in the final game Pakistan came close to upsetting UAE in their 3-2 loss and this was considered by many as a turning point, however, the match most people will still remember is Pakistan's famous victory over Brazil in which all Ronaldinho, Ronaldo etc played in the 3-1 defeat.

In the World Cup qualifiers in 2007, they fell to heavy defeat to the current Asian champions Iraq and after the 7-0 loss, little was expected on them in the second leg. However, the Greenshirts held them to a goalless draw. As results improved, expectations increased, and in 2008, Pakistan travelled to Nepal before hand for two friendlies before taking on the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. After beating Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the first match, hopes of qualification were dashed when Sri Lanka demolished Pakistan 7-1. In the final match they strolled past minnows Guam in a record 9-2 win.

Another disappointing performance in SAFF Championship 2008 where the Pakistan team failed to go beyond the group stages, losing to Maldives 3-0, India 2-1 and Nepal 4-1, signalled the end of Akhtar Mohiuddin as head coach.

[edit] Stadium

Main article: Punjab Stadium

Punjab stadium became the new home of the national team when it was built in 2003. Prior to that, most home matches would be played at other football stadiums around the country. Their former homes are the Railway Stadium and the Peoples Football Stadium. The Punjab Stadium is in Lahore, Pakistan and has a capacity of 64,000. Although the stadium lacks capacity, it is fitted with modern facilities. The Pakistan Football Federation has its headquarters nearby the stadium at FIFA Football house. Games that expect bigger attendances are still played in other stadiums.

[edit] World Cup record

1930 to 1986 - Did not enter: was part of British Empire until 1947
1990 to 2010 - Did not qualify

[edit] Asian Cup record

1956 - Withdrew
1960 - Did not qualify
1964 - Did not enter
1968 - Did not qualify
1972 - Did not qualify
1976 - Withdrew
1980 - Did not qualify
1984 to 2007 - Did not qualify

[edit] South Asian Football Federation Cup record

1993 - Fourth Place
1995 - Round 1
1997 - Third Place
1999 - Round 1
2003 - Fourth Place
2005 - Semi Finals
2008 - Group Stage

[edit] AFC Challenge Cup record

2006 - Round 1
2008 - Did not qualify, 2nd in Qualifying Group
2010 - Did not qualify, 2nd in Qualifying Group

[edit] Forthcoming fixtures

[edit] 2009

Date	Tournament	Location	Home Team	Away Team

[edit] Results

[edit] 2009

Date	Tournament	Location	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Pakistan Scorers	Result
4 April 2009	2010 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier	Colombo	Pakistan	1:1	Chinese Taipei	A.Ahmed 53'	D
6 April 2009	2010 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier	Colombo	Pakistan	6:0	Brunei	Safiullah 19', 61', 67', 71' J.Khan 30' A.Ahmed 83'	W
8 April 2009	2010 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier	Colombo	Pakistan	2:2	Sri Lanka	Safiullah 82' Bashir 84'	D

[edit] Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers.

No.	Pos.	Player	DoB (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	GK	Jaffar Khan (injured)	10 March 1981	59	0	Pakistan Army FC
2	DF	Naveed Akram	16 May 1984	18	1	WAPDA FC
3	DF	Mehmoob Khan	20 April 1981			NBP FC
4	DF	Samar Ishaq	1 January 1986	23	1	KRL FC
6	MF	Nasrullah Khan		5	0	PIA FC
7	MF	Atiq Ullah	1 January 1983	8	0	NBP FC
8	FW	Muhammad Rasool	23 May 1985	9	1	KRL FC
10	MF	Muhammad Essa (captain)	20 November 1983	50	20	KRL FC
11	MF	Abdul Aziz (vice-captain)	11 January 1986	21	0	NBP FC
13	FW	Safiullah Khan	13 March 1979	5	5	PEL FC
16	DF	Aurangzeb				KPT FC
17	FW	Asif Mehmood		0	0	Pakistan Navy FC
19	MF	Jadid Khan		4	1	Afghan FC
21	MF	Yasir Sabir	12 December 1986			NBP FC
22	GK	Bilal Rafiq	19 October 1985	4	0	PIA FC
23	DF	Muhammad Shahid	10 October 1985	11	0	WAPDA FC
30	FW	Muhammad Asif				NBP FC
33	GK	Amir Gul	15 November 1986	4	0	NBP FC
34	MF	Adnan Ahmed	7 June 1984	11	4	Tranmere Rovers
35	MF	Naseer Ahmed				KPT FC
42	MF	Atif Bashir	3 April 1985	6	0	Barry Town

[edit] Recent Call Ups

The following players were selected during 2008.

No.	Pos.	Player	DoB (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club
5	DF	Zesh Rehman	14 October 1984	6	0	Bradford City
7	MF	Amjad Iqbal	23 September 1979	2	0	Bradford Park Avenue
23	FW	Wasim Tareen	24 December 1991	6	3	WAPDA FC
17	MF	Kashif Siddiqi	25 January 1986	1	0	Springfield Demize
26	DF	Abbas Ali	3 September 1990	10	0	NBP FC

[edit] Coaching staff

Head Coach	George Kottan
Assistant Coach	Nasir Ismail
Assistant Coach	Shahzad Anwar
Goalkeeping Coach	Muhammad Aslam Khan
Team Manager	Bilal Butt
Team Doctor & Physiotherapist	Dr. Kamran Mehdi

[edit] Current Manager

Name	Period	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Honours
George Kottan	February 2009	3	1	2	0

[edit] Famous players

Abdul Wahid Durrani 1950-1955 Caps 13 Goals 15, former captain, Top Goal scorer of his time and was known as “WAHIDO”
Jaffar Khan 2001-present Caps 59 Goals 0, goalkeeper and former captain
Sarfraz Rasool 1999-2003 Caps 32 Goals 8, former attacking midfielder
Zeshan Rehman 2005-present Caps 6 Goals 0, defender and first to play top flight football in England
Muhammad Essa 2000-present Caps 47 Goals 20, striker and top goal scorer, current captain
Haroon Yousaf 1993-2004 Caps 53 Goals 3, ex-defender & captain
Gohar Zaman 1999-2002 Caps 10 Goals 5, former midfielder, scored Pakistan’s first World Cup hat-trick
Abdul Ghafoor 50’s and 60’s ex-midfielder & captain, known as the “Black Pele of Pakistan”
Adnan Ahmed 2007-present Caps 11 Goals 4, midfielder
Tanveer Ahmed 1999-2008 Caps 41 Goals 3, ex-defender and former captain