‘Pakistan Football Team Can Play FIFA World Cup in 2030’

(CTN News) – Essa Khan, a former captain of the Pakistani national football team, thinks Pakistan may make the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Essa, who made 36 appearances for Pakistan and scored 11 goals, thinks the FIFA World Cup is only possible if choices are made based on merit.

“The World Cup will have 48 teams starting in 2026, giving Pakistan a decent chance to qualify for the competition.

If merit is emphasized and all the stakeholders are on the same page, Pakistan may yet be able to qualify for the 2030 FIFA World Cup; the 38-year-old expressed optimism.

Essa was also dissatisfied with the Pakistan Football Federation Normalization Committee’s choice to match the Shaheens against Nepal in a 1-0 loss in a friendly.

He remarked, “Playing a friendly versus Nepal was a waste of money. The confidence of the native players was harmed by including players from the diaspora in the team.

At the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal defeated Pakistan 1-0 thanks to Anjan Bista’s game-winning goal.

This was the men’s national team of Pakistan’s first match in more than three years.

Hassan Bashir, Adnan Yaqoob, Abdullah Iqbal, and Yousuf Butt were among the foreign athletes who had joined Pakistan’s team. Currently, all four players play club football in Denmark.

FIFA lifts ban on PFF

As a result of FIFA’s decision to withdraw the ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), which had been imposed in April 2021 due to excessive third-party meddling, in June of this year, Pakistan’s return to the international stage was made feasible.

FIFA also gave the Normalization Committee (NC) an additional 12 months to complete its work.

FIFA states that the normalization committee’s duties include overseeing the PFF’s daily operations and making sure Pakistani clubs are properly registered and inspected. drafting and approving an electoral code for the PFF with the help of FIFA and the AFC, organizing district and provincial elections, and holding elections for a new PFF executive committee.

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