New Pakistan coach targeting football development

Brazilian Jose Antonio Nogueira sets his sights on transforming country into a continental force

KARACHI: Pakistan football team’s new Brazilian head coach Jose Antonio Nogueira landed in Karachi to watch the ongoing National Challenge Cup in the football-loving locality of Malir on Wednesday.

The Brazilian has been signed on a three-year contract, with the Bahrain Football Association paying his salary, and has said that he aims to take Pakistan into the echelons of Asian football.



Nogueira has previous experience coaching in Asia, having coached Saudi Arabia’s famous Al-Ahli Club as well as in Japan. He has also managed in Ecuador and Brazil, including Sao Paulo Athletic FC.

Nogueira is a pro Brazil Football Confederation coach and has a degree in physical training and education, specialising in football.

"I have a good plan for Pakistan," Nogueira said in a video message before coming here. "To rebuild football in Pakistan is very important. It stopped for a long time so now we need to start again. I'll stay in Pakistan for a minimum of three years to review the development of football and young players in order to turn them into a force in Asia.”

He added on Wednesday that he wants to watch the National Challenge Cup in its entirety in order to know the players and other stakeholders.

Pakistan first Pro License coach and Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Technical Director Shahzad Anwar has also been to Brazil in recent years, where he was working for credits to attain his Asian Football Confederation Pro license. Anwar had also been helping players during the past three years and help open Brazilian clubs as a possible avenue for them.



The Pakistan national team has not played in any international tournaments since March 2015 as infighting between PFF officials divided the federation into two groups, leading to an eventual ban from FIFA.

The PFF is now looking to pick up the pieces and revive the sport and is currently holding a tournament in Karachi that is featuring all the major departmental teams in eight groups.

Pakistan will be hoping to do well at the Asian games and the South Asian Football Federation Championship this year.