Pakistan ‘secures entry’ to first FIFA ASEAN Cup

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Pakistan football team is set make its appearance in the FIFA ASEAN Cup as the country has been invited to participate in the tournament, according to media reports. According to reports, FIFA has extended an invitation to Pakistan for the newly launched competition, scheduled to be held in Indonesia from Sept 21 to Oct 6. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) is also reported to have agreed to participate. The national team would reportedly slot into Division 1, joining a highly competitive field that features Thailand, Malaysia, Sing­a­pore, the Philippines, India, and the Indonesian hosts. Local news outlets attributed the unexpected inclusion to ongoing, behind-the-scenes discussions between PFF President Mohsen Gilani and FIFA leadership. However, an official confirmation is awaited. Such a development would mark a historic milestone for Pakistani football, representing the country’s first appearance in a FIFA-backed tournament outside of standard World Cup and continental qualifying rounds. Earlier this week, Pakistan ended a 74-year wait for a football tournament title and defeated Afghanistan 2–0 in the final of the Diamond Jubilee Intern­ational Foot­ball Tournament in at the National Stadium to claim a historic first stand-alone international crown.