Shamlan still awaits permit for Al-Nakba [The News]

Sports Correspondent – The News

KARACHI: Pakistan football team coach Mohammed Shamlan, who is still awaiting a permit from Israel, gave instructions to his support staff on phone from Jordon for their Al-Nakba tournament game against Sri Lanka in Palestine the other day.

The Green-shirts beat the Sri Lankans 3-0.

Shamlan, who was stopped by Israel at the Jordon border last week, is still trying to get his permit.

A top official of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Tuesday that it seemed difficult now. “An official of the Palestine Football Association (PFA) has said that it is very difficult to resolve Sahmlan’s issue now,” PFF secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi told this correspondent.

It is more likely that Pakistan will be missing Shamlan again when they take on Jordon in their next game on Wednesday (today).

“If permit was not issued tomorrow, Shamlan may be asked to either go to Bahrain or stay in Jordon so that he could watch at least his team’s matches on television as these would definitely be telecast live by some channels in the Gulf,” Lodhi said.

“If he cannot proceed to Palestine, he should at least manage to watch his players on television in a bid to at least know how they perform,” the official said.

The basic purpose behind Pakistan’s tour to Palestine is to prepare for the Asian Games, which will be held in Incheon in South Korea from September 19 to October 4.