PFF reduces number of probables

LAHORE The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) shortlisted Thursday the number of national camp probables to 25 ahead of AFC U-14 Festival of Football (South Asia Region) to be held in Iran from May 10-23. The camp, which commenced on March 23, is in full swing at Lahores Punjab Stadium with all the boys, born on after January 1, 1996, are being accommodated at FIFA Football Houses hostels. The AFC Festivals for U-13 and U-14 are less about competition and more about providing an arena for talented juniors from their respective regions to play against each other and forge bonds of friendship. For the third consecutive year, the Festival of Football was held at such a footballing nation, said PFF President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat. The PFF had selected the 55 probables from Islamabads 12th National Championship and scraped 10 players in the first stage on March 27, further eight on March 31, seven on April 5 and five on Thursday which are Mohammad Usman, Fakhar Zaman, Shar Ali, Fateh Sher and Mohammad Nawaz. The PFF assigned coaches working under Asian Football Confederation (AFC)s AID-27 Financial Assistance Scheme - Hassan Baloch and GK coach Noman Ibrahim - to look after the school-level boys while Asghar Khan Anjum of PEL will act as manager. Pakistan will be among nine participants alongwith Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and host Iran. One of the important event will be skill Test, very useful for the coaches and not just players. The skills test provided coaches the chance to analyse the players level, Faisal said. In addition, it also allows them to judge the current standard of the players across Asia and also judges the players progress compared to last year. I am a fan of the skills test. I shall be much happy man to see the improvement of my players at Hamedan City, he concluded. The 25 players currently in the camp are : Goal keepers (3) ; Usman Khan, Syed Hassan Mujtaba, Rao Umer Defenders (8): Malik Dilshad Ahmed, Muneer Ahmed , Sajjad Ali, Shahbaz Masih, Zafar Ahmed, Imtiaz Masih, Tanzeel Ishfaq, Babar Faiz Midfielders (7): Raza Ali, Hassan Pervaiz, Haider Ali, Mohammad Zeeshan, Saeb Ashraf, Bilal Asghar, Mohammad Sohail, Strikers : (7): Mudassar Iqbal, Mohammad Bilal, Ashfaq Uddin, Mohamamd Younas Saeed, Rashid Noor, Syed Daniyal Hussain, Mohammad Umer Hayat.