Pakistan to host Afghanistan in friendly

Football federation confirms match will be held next month

KARACHI: Pakistan will host Afghanistan in a friendly next month and the camp for the match will begin on January 25, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has confirmed.

“The friendly will take place in February,” PFF secretary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi told The Express Tribune. “Afghanistan will visit us for one match only. We are preparing for it. It is likely to take place in Islamabad, but we’ll confirm the venue later.”

Meanwhile Lodhi said that the training will begin this month. “We have called the camp on January 25,” said Lodhi. “Foreign-based players have also been invited; we have informed them. There are at least 12 or 13 of them, let’s see how many show up.”

Meanwhile, assistant coach for the national team Hassan Baloch said that the camp will begin in good spirits. “Afghanistan thrashed us 3-0 last year,” said Baloch.

“It shows that they are a better side and we can learn from them. A good match is the best form of training for any team. We will have foreign-based players too; we want them to be in the camp as soon as possible so that they can get enough practice with the entire squad.”

Meanwhile, PFF tournaments and development director Pervaiz Saeed Mir said that the match will take place on February 6. “Till the last update, we have February 6 as the date set for the match, which will take place in Islamabad,” said Mir.

Afghanistan are 143th in the FIFA rankings, while Pakistan occupy 188th place.

 

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