Pakistan struggles because of foreign players – Former PFF Secretary Mujahid [Observer]

Pakistan struggles because of foreign players – Former PFF Secretary Mujahid [Observer]

Agencies – Observer

Friday, November 29, 2013 – Islamabad—Pakistan is ranked 168 in the FIFA-CocaCola World Rankings with 102 points released on Thursday but the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) seems to do nothing for the improvement of the game.

The other Asian teams ranked in the World Rankings are above Pakistan in the table with India on 154 with 151 points, Bangladesh on 162 with 120 points and Sri Lanka on 166 with 108 points. However, Spain still leads the World Rankings while Germany and Argentina are placed second and third respectively.

The next FIFA-CocaCola World Rankings will be published on December 19. Talking to APP, Former football team captain Lt Col ® Mujahid Ullah Tareen said the national team cannot improve until and unless PFF won’t stop stuffing foreign-based players in the team.

Afghanistan beat Pakistan with a 3-0 margin in a friendly match held a couple of months ago while Pakistan lost its 1st match against India by 1-0 in the SAFF Cup 2013. For the SAFF Cup, PFF called foreign-based players including Adnan Ahmed, former Fulham defender Zesh Rehman, Hassan Bashir, Yousuf Butt and Yacoob Butt. Mujahid Ullah who has also been the former PFF secretary, said the team has failed to produce many times and therefore an operation clean up is needed in the team.

“I feel the team’s downfall at major events is because of the inclusion of foreign-based players in the team,” he said.Mujahid who is also the Director Media of Pakistan Olympic Association, said our local players perform with their hearts out in the domestic championships and at the end the PFF awards them by calling in foreign-based players who occupy their space in the team.

“Our players get disappointed with this,” he said adding that Pakistan team should have pure Pakistani players in it who perform whole year at the domestic circuit here. Mujahid Ullah further advised national team’s head coach to include as many as local players he can in the team in futureas to make it a Pakistan team rather than a foreign-based players team who come play and go.—Agencies