Pakistan National Football Team is set to feature in the SAFF ASEAN Championship, scheduled in Bangladesh from November 4 to 17. After winning the Four Nations Championship, the Shaheens will return to the field. But the real question is: which Shaheens will return to the field for Pakistan?
The SAFF ASEAN Championship is scheduled in November, where Pakistan is drawn in Group B with India, Maldives, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The group itself is competitive for Pakistan, but the previous matches have given fans hope for hard-fought face-offs following the unbeaten run in the Four Nations Championship and lifting the title.
Before the tournament starts, it has raised several questions. The tournament has games outside the FIFA international break. The international break will start on November 9 and end on November 17, while the tournament starts on November 4. This will cause an issue of commitment for players playing in foreign leagues, as they will have to withdraw either from their league or from national duty.
This is more concerning for the Pakistan national side, as most of the key players are playing in European leagues. It will be a hard decision for them to choose. They are more likely to withdraw from national duty, which will create a local-level team that will find it impossible to compete with teams like India and Maldives. The Pakistan national team, which overly relies on diaspora stars, will be in much trouble, while the local talent lacks the international exposure needed.
The SAFF administration clearly neglected this factor. Many teams have big-name players playing club football, where it will be a tough call for them to join their national teams. Countries like India and Maldives, which have their own leagues and where most players are playing domestically, will get an upper edge.
This is the first edition of the SAFF ASEAN Championship, but even before the tournament has started, it has raised concerns over the schedule. If SAFF plans to expand this tournament, more scheduling issues like this will arise.
