KARACHI: Pakistan’s senior football team camp will begin from February 20 at Lahore to work on different aspects of the players and to keep them in better shape.
It had earlier been postponed after no foreign country responded positively to a call from Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to play with them on FIFA Day. Twenty-six home-based players have been called for the 10-day camp, which ends on February 29. The players have been advised to report to the coach Zavisa on February 19.
Five foreign-based players who were expected to be part of the team for international friendly on FIFA Day are not part of the exercise. “Although, we don’t have any international commitment, it is an opportunity to work on the technical, fitness, power, ability and psychological aspects of the players,” Zavisa Milosavljevic told ‘The News’ on Thursday. “Fourteen under-22 players have been included in the camp, which will help us to test them as Pakistan have to feature in the Under-22 Asian Cup Qualifiers in June-July,” Zavisa added.
There is no surprise and skipper Jaffar Khan, striker Shakir Lashari and defender Samar Ishaq are also among the players invited for training. These players were also part of the Pakistan team in the SAFF Cup in New Delhi last year.
Pakistan under-19 team will also hold its camp on February 25 at Lahore and Zavisa said that his senior side would play practice matches against the under-19 team on February 27 and 29.
Following are the players to attend the camp.
Goalkeepers: Jaffar Khan (Army), Saqib Hanif (KESC), Muzammil Hussain (WAPDA), Jehangir Khan (KESC).
Defenders: Kamran Khan, Samar Ishaq, Mohammad Rizwan (all KRL), Mohammad Ahmad, Akram Masih (both WAPDA), Abdul Qadeer (Muslim FC), Farrukh Khan (Karachi Flame Academy).
Midfielders: Kaleemullah, Zia-Us-Salam (both KRL), Saddam Hussain (PIA), Syed Arif Hussain (WAPDA), Hanif Khan (Afghan FC), Naveed Ahmad (Navy), Faisal Iqbal (NBP).
Strikers: Shakir Lashari (PIA), Jadeed Khan Pathan (Afghan FC), Abdul Hadi (Afghan FC), Hasnain Abbas (KRL), Mohammad Adnan (Navy), Mohammad Afzal (WAPDA), Mohammad (KESC), Usman Halim (Karachi Flame Academy).