Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) president Mohsin Gilani has said the selection of coaches for the national team is made in consultation with head coach Nolberto Solano and that the federation does not interfere in the selection of players or coaching staff.
“National team coaches are appointed in consultation with the head coach Nolberto and we never interfere in the selection of players and coaches,” Gilani told The Express Tribune.
Gilani was responding to questions over the omission of goalkeeping coach Aslam Khan and assistant coach Mahmood Khan from the coaching staff for the ASEAN Cup, despite both having been part of the team that recently guided Pakistan to a title victory.
This correspondent also shared with Gilani a long list of officials proceeding to Indonesia with the team Gilani said that in this list some people are not going.
“In this long list some are going and some even are not going,” Gilani said.
The PFF has also announced a 23-member squad for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, which will be held in Indonesia from September 25 to October 5.
The squad includes players based in Pakistan and a sizeable contingent of foreign-based players. Solano will lead the team in Indonesia.
The PFF said the tournament would give Pakistan an opportunity to compete on a new international platform and strengthen preparations against teams from the ASEAN region.
Pakistan have been drawn in Group B alongside Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. Hosts Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh are in Group A.
Pakistan will begin their campaign against Thailand on September 26 at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung. They will face the Philippines on September 29 before completing the group stage against Vietnam on October 2.
The group winners will advance to the final on October 5 at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, while the two runners-up teams will contest the third-place playoff at the same venue earlier that day.
Adeel Rizki, the PFF director technical, is listed as an assistant coach. The position is generally a technical and administrative role, although a director technical may take on coaching duties in exceptional circumstances, including a shortage of available coaches.
Squad: Yousuf Butt, Hassan Ali, Saqib Hanif, Abdullah Shah, Abdul Rahman, Ali Khan Niazi, Ali Agha, Hayyan Khattak, Ali Uzair, Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad Arshad, Kaleem Ullah, Shayek Dost, Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman, Mohib Ullah, Mamoon Khan, Mohd Fazal, Haris Zeb, Umer Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Ali Khan
Officials: (unofficial list): Nolberto Solano (head coach), Jorge Orlando Daniel Castaneira (fitness coach), Mohammad Bin Sohail (team doctor), Waleed Javed (assistant coach), Zahid Taj (goalkeeping coach), Abid Hussain (team official), Mohammad Asadullah (observer), Mohammad Saméer Ali (videographer), Shahzeb Ahmed Khan (manager), Adeel Rizki (assistant coach), Umaid Wasim (media officer), Abdul Qayyum (masseur), Jamil Ahmed Sarparah (team official), Mohammad Umair Aslam Malik (team official), Nazar Mohammad (observer).
