Pakistan women’s football team is all set to participate in the upcoming Fifa Series, a women’s football event to be held in Brazil, Ivory Coast and Thailand in March. The announcement was made in November last year by the world football body, which is expanding the Fifa Series by involving more member nations and introducing a women’s edition.
What changed the fortunes of the women’s national team was a meeting between Fifa supremo Gianni Infantino and Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Mohsen Gilani. This paved the way for the women’s national team to participate in the friendly match series and face new nations within other federations.
Pakistan women’s football team, despite losing 8-0 to China Taipei in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in June last year, showed promise by beating Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan in the subsequent matches. However, the team’s lack of visibility in matches against other nations will require greater concentration from them on the pitch.
“We don’t have many details about the series yet,” says Maria Khan, midfielder and captain of the national team. “Fifa will release more information this month (January), so we don’t really have an idea who we are going to play against. However, our goal as a team, every time we step on the field together, is to always represent Pakistan in the best possible way,” she adds.
The women’s national football team is expected to be seen in action in March during the Fifa Series. After six months of absence, facing teams from other confederations will be both an opportunity and a challenge for the Green Shirts.
Shahrukh Sohail, sports management professional and analyst, believes that the team’s squad, based on its performances shown in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, looks strong.
“There might be some new additions to the agenda (in terms of squad changes), but the team is not expected to play any friendlies before the series,” he said. “They’re really going to have to get to work.”
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
As part of its Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027, Fifa launched its brainchild, the Fifa Series, in 2024. The inaugural 2024 series included 24 Member Association (MA) national teams participating in the competition. The national teams of the six confederations competed against each other from March 18 to 26, 2024.
The upcoming series is the second extended phase, paving the way for more nations to participate in the competition.
Many experts view international friendlies as an opportunity to hone the skills of national team players, preparing them for the crucial South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) championship next summer.
Adeel Rizki, who has been the head coach of the national team since 2022, believes that this opportunity will, to a large extent, be a crucial step towards a good performance at the SAFF Championship.
“Being part of this Fifa Series is an achievement in itself,” Rizki told Eos. “However, our goal goes beyond participation. We aim to compete, perform and showcase Pakistan’s talent in women’s football on the world stage. This experience will also serve as an important stepping stone in our progression towards the 2026 SAFF Championship.”
As for challenges, he highlights a few that women in green would face. Facing opponents they have never faced before, they will face strong and competitive opposition. “But such visibility is of the utmost importance for the growth and development of our women’s team at the international level,” he emphasizes.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to practice and get acquainted together,” says Maria Khan. “It’s difficult with restricted Fifa windows and (bearing in mind) when players can be released from their clubs. Hopefully we can use the time together for this Fifa series to build a strong foundation for the next SAFF Women’s Championship.”
According to sports journalist Muneeb Farrukh, the best part of the series is that it will allow the Pakistani team to compete with nations from other confederations. In the past, the Pakistan team was limited to competing against teams only within its own confederation, giving it limited exposure.
Shahrukh Sohail sees the team’s participation from an additional perspective. “I wouldn’t look at competition from just a bottom-line perspective,” he emphasizes. “Our women’s team is still in the development stage. It needs time. This is a friendly tournament and will provide excellent exposure for the girls, who have not played for six months.”
THE DEMON OF POLITICS
However, a specter is already haunting this opportunity.
After a decade-long hiatus, the PFF finally held its elections to elect its executive body in May last year. Until the elections, the country’s football governing body had twice been banned by Fifa for failing to elect an executive body to manage football affairs.
But on December 21, just before the PFF executive committee elections for Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KP) seats, the situation turned murky again when the Sindh Football Federation claimed that two of its Congress members had been arrested for influencing the KP elections.
They were not guilty. But the accusation raised many eyebrows, as it was seen as political interference, which already landed the PFF in difficult situations in previous years, ultimately leading to two consecutive bans.
“Fifa does not tolerate any form of political interference in sports governance, that is very clear,” recalls Muneeb Farrukh. “Given previous bans, such a decision risks jeopardizing all the PFF’s achievements after the long-awaited elections.
“Indeed, the last thing the PFF needs,” believes the sports analyst, “is a new ban just before its women’s team heads to participate in an international event.”
The writer is a member of staff. X: @Ayaz_Jurno
Published in Dawn, EOS, January 11, 2026
