Report: Feyzan Lakhani. In a significant and historic development for Pakistan football, the national football team has been invited to participate in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup. For the first time, Pakistan will directly participate in a FIFA tournament apart from qualifiers.
According to sources, FIFA has officially invited Pakistan to participate in this event, after which the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has confirmed the participation of the national team.
The inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup will be played in Indonesia from September 21 to October 6, where Pakistan will face teams like India, host Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in Division One.
This tournament is considered very important for Pakistan football as it will be the first time that the Pakistan football team will participate in a FIFA event other than the World Cup or the Asian Games.
Sources reveal that PFF President Mohsin Gilani’s good relations with FIFA officials and diplomatic relations played an important role for Pakistan to participate in this event.
According to experts, participation in this tournament becomes a golden opportunity for Pakistani football to show its skills at the world level and gain international experience.
