KARACHI:
Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Secretary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi has lashed out at Bangladesh’s Sheikh Jamal Football Club for pulling out of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President’s Cup scheduled to take off from May 8 in Lahore.
The club refused to tour Pakistan due to security reasons despite a full security plan sent to them by the PFF last month.
“It’s very disappointing and we’ve asked the AFC to ban them,” Lodhi told The Express Tribune. “Their national team had concerns too but it toured Lahore last year. Now, it’s a lame excuse on their part.”
According to Lodhi, a Fifa security consultant visited Lahore last month and everyone was satisfied with the plan. Security concern, however, is not the only headache for the PFF – arranging visas for Chinese Taipei’s Taiwan Power Company (TPC) club will prove to be a huge ask as Pakistan does not recognise the state according to its foreign policy.
“We did get a heads-up from the interior ministry. A team from Chinese Taipei visited Pakistan in 2007 so we’re hoping everything goes smoothly this time too.
“Their case is being processed with the help of the Thai embassy and we’re hoping they get visas on time.”
National champions KRL and Mongolian side Erchim FC will take part in the event besides TPC. KRL coach Tariq Lutfi is viewing the event as a good opportunity to progress in the event’s second round.
“We have the easiest group,” said Lutfi. “It’s a golden opportunity for us to qualify for the second round since we also have home advantage.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2012.
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