A member of the normalization committee of FIFA in Pakistan says that they are trying to organize a qualifier match of the Football World Cup in Pakistan, for which the federal and provincial governments have been contacted.
Of Pakistan Football As the stadiums do not meet FIFA standards, Pakistan will have to upgrade the grounds to host the qualifiers with Cambodia in October.
Due to the ongoing conflict in the football federation in Pakistan for the past few years, the International Federation of Football (FIFA) has entrusted the responsibility of running the federation in Pakistan to the Normalization Committee.
Pakistan will have to play two qualifiers against Cambodia and will be in a position to enter the next stage if they win.
Pakistan is yet to win the first stage and has never joined the FIFA World Cup.
In case the grounds in Pakistan do not meet the standard, Pakistan will have to host Cambodia at a neutral venue, i.e. in another country, which will have to be borne by the Pakistan government.
Shahid Khokhar, a member of the FIFA Normalization Committee, while talking to Independent Urdu, said that ‘Pakistan has to play Cambodia in the first round to participate in the FIFA World Cup. In which there will be two matches, one our team will play in Cambodia on October 12. The second match will be hosted by Pakistan which will be played on October 17.
“Currently, none of the football grounds in Pakistan meet the global standards set by FIFA, the reason being that Pakistan has not hosted World Cup qualifiers for eight years.”
According to Shahid Khokhar, ‘Pakistan football team has never won the first round, this time if it succeeds, it will be a big win. However, after that there will be a second stage and after that they can decide the next steps and join the tournament.
He said that the football stadiums of Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan can be ready for international competition. For the preparation of one of these grounds, we have requested the provincial and federal governments through the sports boards to prepare us a ground as per FIFA standards. If the government is willing to release the funds, we will have FIFA inspect our grounds. But in case the government is not willing, the government will arrange to host the match on October 17 with Cambodia in another country.’
Grounder quality and player preparation
According to Shahid Khokhar, ‘We have football grounds, if the government allocates funds, these grounds can be prepared. Therefore, we are sure that the government will show interest in this matter, but if it does not happen, then we will consider hosting in another country.
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According to a member of the FIFA Normalization Committee: ‘Lahore and Islamabad already have national level football grounds, only laser leveling, soft grass and commentary box, scoreboards etc. will need to be upgraded. If we assure FIFA to upgrade the stadium to hold matches here, the work can be completed easily in a month.’
Muhammad Wasim, the national football player, while talking to Independent Urdu, said that in Pakistan, players have to help themselves in every game to make a place in the team by playing under you. But there are not many clubs in football. The federation organizes football competitions according to its budget, but the facilities to play at the international level are not there, and the opportunities are not there for the players to sustain the game. How can one win in major competitions when there are no world-class facilities or training.’
Shahid Khokhar was asked the question that if there is no world-class ground, can the players of our team win the World Cup?
He replied that ‘this is true of our players in football that world-class grounds are not available. But we train them very well and provide them with good level coaching which teaches them the basic techniques of the game. As for the grounds, it doesn’t matter that much. Our grounds are a bit better. When the players get a chance to play on better grounds, they play better than before.’
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#World #Cup #Qualifier #match #held #Pakistan
**Interview with Shahid Khokhar, Member of the FIFA Normalization Committee in Pakistan**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Shahid. There have been some exciting developments regarding the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Pakistan. Can you tell us about the current situation?
**Shahid Khokhar:** Thank you for having me. Yes, we are in the process of organizing two important matches against Cambodia, the first will be held in Cambodia on October 12, and the second is scheduled for October 17 in Pakistan. This is a crucial opportunity for our national team to progress in the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup.
**Interviewer:** What are the challenges faced in hosting the home match in Pakistan?
**Shahid Khokhar:** The main challenge is that none of our football stadiums currently meet the global standards set by FIFA. It’s been eight years since we hosted World Cup qualifiers, so we need to upgrade our facilities to comply with those standards.
**Interviewer:** How can the government help in this situation?
**Shahid Khokhar:** We have reached out to both federal and provincial governments through the sports boards to secure funding for the necessary upgrades. If the government is willing to allocate resources, we can prepare our stadiums for FIFA’s inspection. This includes improvements like laser leveling, quality turf, and enhancements to facilities such as commentary boxes and scoreboards.
**Interviewer:** What if the government does not provide the necessary support?
**Shahid Khokhar:** If the government is unable or unwilling to provide the funds, we may have to host the match at a neutral venue in another country, which would be a financial burden on the government. That’s not ideal for our team or our fans, so we hope for a favorable response from officials.
**Interviewer:** Looking ahead, what would a successful outcome in these matches mean for Pakistani football?
**Shahid Khokhar:** Winning these qualifiers would be significant for us; it would not only mark the first time Pakistan has won at this stage but can also improve the overall football infrastructure and interest in the sport within the country. If we succeed in the first round, we then move on to the second stage, where we can assess our next steps.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for sharing these insights, Shahid. We hope everything works out, and best of luck to the team in the upcoming matches!
**Shahid Khokhar:** Thank you so much. We appreciate the support!
