Mohsen also revealed that the facilities provided by the Pakistan Sports Board were not up to the mark.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan have announced a 23-member squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia, with head coach Nolberto Solano set to join the team directly in Indonesia after a visa delay kept him away from the training camp.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed the squad on Saturday, which includes players based in Pakistan as well as footballers playing abroad.

According to sources, Solano could not obtain his Pakistani visa in time after applying under the wrong visa category. The PFF submitted a new application after identifying the issue, but the process was delayed.

Assistant coaches Titus Bramble and Walid Javaid have been supervising the team’s training camp in Islamabad in Solano’s absence.

Solano is expected to travel directly to Indonesia ahead of the tournament, which will be held from September 25 to October 5.

Abdullah Iqbal to Lead Pakistan

Defender Abdullah Iqbal will captain the national team, while experienced forward Kaleemullah returns to the squad.

Young midfielder Abdul Samad, captain of Pakistan’s U-17 team, has also been included. The Swat-born player recently signed a two-year contract with Azerbaijani champions Qarabag FK.

Samad previously represented Pakistan at the UEFA U-16 Development Tournament in Kazakhstan in April, where he captained the team and scored against the hosts.

PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani also visited Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad during the training camp to meet the players and review preparations for the tournament.

Speaking in a video released by the PFF, Gilani said Pakistan would face teams that are significantly higher ranked and described the tournament as an important moment for the national side.

He also acknowledged concerns about the facilities provided by the Pakistan Sports Board and said the federation had changed the facilities after being informed about the problems.

Pakistan’s ASEAN Cup Fixtures

Pakistan have been placed in Group B of Division One alongside Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Pakistan will begin their campaign against Thailand on September 26, before facing the Philippines on September 29. Their final group match will be against Vietnam on October 2.

Pakistan entered the tournament after China withdrew from the inaugural competition to focus on preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup and 2030 World Cup qualifying campaigns.

Earlier this year, Pakistan won the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in the Maldives, ending a 74-year wait for an international title.

Pakistan Squad

Goalkeepers:
Yousuf Butt, Hassan Ali, Saqib Hanif

Defenders:
Abdullah Shah, Abdul Rahman, Ali Khan, Hayyan Khattak, Ali Uzair, Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Raza, Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman

Midfielders:
Abdul Samad Arshad, Shayek Dost, Mohib Ullah, Mamoon Khan, Mohd Fazal, Haris Zeb

Forwards:
Kaleemullah, Umer Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Ali Khan

Note: The squad list provided in the original report contains duplicate names (including Ali Khan and Abdul Samad), so the official PFF squad announcement should be used to verify the final 23-player list.