Sharida becomes first Gulf Coach of Pak National Soccer team

LAHORE—Former Bahrain Coach Salman Ahmed Sharida has been engaged as the first Gulf coach to train Pakistan football team on a one year contract. Sharida will coach Pakistan footballers for the SAFF Championship being held at Karachi from December 7-17, said a spokesman of the Pakistan Football Federation here on Wednesday. The foreign coach who is imparting training to 38 probables at Islamabad arrived Pakistan on October 23. His first assignment was to handle the side in the Asian Cup qualifiers which were to be played home and away basis next month but the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions Committee postponed the matches due to natural calamity. The matches will be re-scheduled after 25 December, he said. Initially, Pakistan was to clash with Bangladesh in the home-and-away matches of AFC showpiece event on 11 and 18 November.
“Bahrain Football Association has infact provided the services of three qualified coaches on the request of President, PFF, Faisal Saleh Hayat, the spokesman said adding “the other two coaches will also be serving Pakistan football for one year include Jassim Mohammed Abbas (Al Ahli Club) and Khudair Abdulnabi Shamtoot (Ittefaq Club)”. “They (coaches) will accompany Pakistan Youth team and Pakistan U17 team at Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and New Delhi (India) respectively next month”, he said. British coach John McBride was the first foreign coach hired by PFF in 1959, followed by coaches from Germany, Hungary, Poland, China, Brazil and Slovakia as well as more trainers from United Kingdom. Slovakia’s Jozef Herel was the last foreign coach of Pakistan whose assignment was four-test away series against Sri Lanka and 14th Asian Games at Pusan in 2002. Meanwhile President PFF has approved the names of 38 probables who were selected after four-day trials held at Islamabad for the build up of team to take part in SAFF Championship, Asian Cup qualifier and 2006 First AFC Challenge Cup and 10th South Asian Games. Bahrain team under the guidance of Sharida beat Japan at Japan in 28th Athens Olympic Games (Asian Qualifier) last year. Following are attending the camp, Goal Keepers (5): Jaffar Khan, Mehmood Khan, Imran (Army), Luqman (WAPDA), Rao Muhammad Yamin (POF). Defenders (11): Tanveer Ahmed, Naveed Akram Yasir Afridi, Adeel (WAPDA), Mehmood Khan (NBP), Muhammad Imran (Army), Zeeshan, Sammar Ishaq (Panther Club), Arif Masih, Ashfaq Ahmed (PTCL), Muhammad Idrees (KPT). Midfielders (15): Atiqur Rehman (KRL), Zahid Hameed, Imran Niazi, Khalid Zaman (WAPDA), Ghazzan Jamal (Punjab), Hassan Bin Suleman (Wohaib Club), Farooq Shah, Abdul Aziz, Atiq Ullah (NBP), Bashir Ahmed, Nasrullah, Adeel Ahmed (PTCL), Muhammad Shabbir, Umar Daraz (Army), Zeshan Rehman (on the condition release by English club Fulham). Strikers (7): Muhammad Essa (Afghan Club), Farhan (SGP), Imran Hussain, Adnan Bari, Abid Gill (Army), Arif Mehmood (WAPDA), Safi Ullah (Peshawar).—APP