Latest news with #PakistanFootballFederation
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How British footballers are helping women's football in Pakistan
Ask one of the 255 million people in Pakistan to name their favourite sport, and most will say cricket. Not many will say football, and even fewer will say women's football. But that's all about to change, according to new Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Syed Mohsin Gilani. "We want to promote mass participation of girls in football," he says. With the PFF previously suspended by governing body Fifa, the country's national women's team had been quiet on the world stage, playing only three games in the past two years. Now those hoping to drive the game forward in Pakistan have been looking further afield to find talented players to boost its profile, such as defender Layla Banaras. The former Birmingham City player tells BBC Newsbeat that Pakistan's football setup "isn't the best at the moment". "But hopefully that's going to change," she says. Layla made history when, aged 16, she became the first-ever South Asian woman to play for Birmingham City, something that she hopes can inspire others. "You don't really see many players in the WSL [Women's Super League] from a South Asian heritage," she says. "I feel like I want to be the person that people can see and show others that you can play football." Layla is currently a free agent after leaving the Blues at the end of last season, and recently made her debut for the Pakistan women's national team. She played in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, where the side finished as runners-up. "Pakistan contacted me a couple years ago but I felt like it wasn't the right time and I felt like this was the right time," she says. "It was an amazing experience and I'd do it all over again." She is half-Pakistani, so when it came to choosing between England or Pakistan she says "it wasn't even a thought, I'm proud of where I'm from". "It wasn't really a debate," she says. Joining the squad alongside her is 21-year-old Mariam Mahmood, a former West Bromwich player. "When they called me up, I was really happy," she says. "To know they know about me from the other side of the world is crazy." Mariam didn't have the same experience as Layla from her extended family when she decided to pursue football. "They were just like: 'Pakistani girls don't play football, they don't do sport and that it's not a career path'. "But, you can't let culture hold you back, you have to follow your heart," she says. Layla and Mariam join four other diaspora players in the national side, and PFF present Syed Mohsin Gilani is happy to have them. "Anybody who's eligible for Pakistan should play for Pakistan, it's doesn't matter where you live or where you're from," he tells Newsbeat. The battle now will be to focus on developing players at home. "We want to have more women's football clubs and we are setting a functioning women's football department in the federation," says president Gilani. "We want to take it all over the country." The federation also plans to launch new competitions aimed at women and girls, he says. Layla says the PFF will need to do a lot of work to raise awareness and get young girls into football. "It needs to be in schools, it needs to be in the local communities and there needs to be access to it," she says. She also wants to see more girls from a South Asian Muslim background coming through "into the academies, into the systems and into Pakistan's football team". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. More on this story 'I never thought I'd be playing international football' Ex-England youth Suliman switches to Pakistan Three years without any football - can Pakistan recover?
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How British footballers are helping women's football in Pakistan
Ask one of the 255 million people in Pakistan to name their favourite sport, and most will say cricket. Not many will say football, and even fewer will say women's football. But that's all about to change, according to new Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Syed Mohsin Gilani. "We want to promote mass participation of girls in football," he says. With the PFF previously suspended by governing body Fifa, the country's national women's team had been quiet on the world stage, playing only three games in the past two years. Now those hoping to drive the game forward in Pakistan have been looking further afield to find talented players to boost its profile, such as defender Layla Banaras. The former Birmingham City player tells BBC Newsbeat that Pakistan's football setup "isn't the best at the moment". "But hopefully that's going to change," she says. Layla made history when, aged 16, she became the first-ever South Asian woman to play for Birmingham City, something that she hopes can inspire others. "You don't really see many players in the WSL [Women's Super League] from a South Asian heritage," she says. "I feel like I want to be the person that people can see and show others that you can play football." Layla is currently a free agent after leaving the Blues at the end of last season, and recently made her debut for the Pakistan women's national team. She played in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, where the side finished as runners-up. "Pakistan contacted me a couple years ago but I felt like it wasn't the right time and I felt like this was the right time," she says. "It was an amazing experience and I'd do it all over again." She is half-Pakistani, so when it came to choosing between England or Pakistan she says "it wasn't even a thought, I'm proud of where I'm from". "It wasn't really a debate," she says. Joining the squad alongside her is 21-year-old Mariam Mahmood, a former West Bromwich player. "When they called me up, I was really happy," she says. "To know they know about me from the other side of the world is crazy." Mariam didn't have the same experience as Layla from her extended family when she decided to pursue football. "They were just like: 'Pakistani girls don't play football, they don't do sport and that it's not a career path'. "But, you can't let culture hold you back, you have to follow your heart," she says. Layla and Mariam join four other diaspora players in the national side, and PFF present Syed Mohsin Gilani is happy to have them. "Anybody who's eligible for Pakistan should play for Pakistan, it's doesn't matter where you live or where you're from," he tells Newsbeat. The battle now will be to focus on developing players at home. "We want to have more women's football clubs and we are setting a functioning women's football department in the federation," says president Gilani. "We want to take it all over the country." The federation also plans to launch new competitions aimed at women and girls, he says. Layla says the PFF will need to do a lot of work to raise awareness and get young girls into football. "It needs to be in schools, it needs to be in the local communities and there needs to be access to it," she says. She also wants to see more girls from a South Asian Muslim background coming through "into the academies, into the systems and into Pakistan's football team". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. More on this story 'I never thought I'd be playing international football' Ex-England youth Suliman switches to Pakistan Three years without any football - can Pakistan recover?
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Women's football: Pakistan hopes to kick off new era
Ask one of the 255 million people in Pakistan to name their favourite sport, and most will say many will say football, and even fewer will say women's that's all about to change, according to new Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Syed Mohsin Gilani."We want to promote mass participation of girls in football," he the PFF previously suspended by governing body Fifa, the country's national women's team had been quiet on the world stage, playing only three games in the past two those hoping to drive the game forward in Pakistan have been looking further afield to find talented players to boost its profile, such as defender Layla former Birmingham City player tells BBC Newsbeat that Pakistan's football setup "isn't the best at the moment"."But hopefully that's going to change," she says. Layla made history when, aged 16, she became the first-ever South Asian woman to play for Birmingham City, something that she hopes can inspire others."You don't really see many players in the WSL [Women's Super League] from a South Asian heritage," she says."I feel like I want to be the person that people can see and show others that you can play football."Layla is currently a free agent after leaving the Blues at the end of last season, and recently made her debut for the Pakistan women's national played in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, where the side finished as runners-up."Pakistan contacted me a couple years ago but I felt like it wasn't the right time and I felt like this was the right time," she says."It was an amazing experience and I'd do it all over again."She is half-Pakistani, so when it came to choosing between England or Pakistan she says "it wasn't even a thought, I'm proud of where I'm from"."It wasn't really a debate," she says. Joining the squad alongside her is 21-year-old Mariam Mahmood, a former West Bromwich player. "When they called me up, I was really happy," she says."To know they know about me from the other side of the world is crazy."Mariam didn't have the same experience as Layla from her extended family when she decided to pursue football. "They were just like: 'Pakistani girls don't play football, they don't do sport and that it's not a career path'."But, you can't let culture hold you back, you have to follow your heart," she says. Layla and Mariam join four other diaspora players in the national side, and PFF present Syed Mohsin Gilani is happy to have them. "Anybody who's eligible for Pakistan should play for Pakistan, it's doesn't matter where you live or where you're from," he tells Newsbeat. The battle now will be to focus on developing players at home."We want to have more women's football clubs and we are setting a functioning women's football department in the federation," says president Gilani. "We want to take it all over the country."The federation also plans to launch new competitions aimed at women and girls, he says. Layla says the PFF will need to do a lot of work to raise awareness and get young girls into football."It needs to be in schools, it needs to be in the local communities and there needs to be access to it," she says. She also wants to see more girls from a South Asian Muslim background coming through "into the academies, into the systems and into Pakistan's football team". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Newcastle cult hero 'Nobby' Solano appointed Pakistan coach
Pakistan's embattled football federation has appointed former Newcastle United cult hero Nolberto 'Nobby' Solano as coach of their national teams to try to improve their dreadful record of never qualifying for a major tournament. Solano, 50, who also played for Aston Villa and West Ham United in the English Premier League before retiring in 2012, was an assistant coach for his country Peru when they qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "We have hired the services of Solano with a hope that he will bring more energy and zest to the national players and lift our standings at the international level," the Pakistan Football Federation president, Mohsen Gilani, said in a statement. The cricket-obsessed nation has reached the second round of Asian qualifying for the FIFA World Cup only once. Pakistan are 201st of 210 teams the in FIFA world men's team rankings, and have sought to improve standards by inducting players of Pakistan heritage based in the UK. Pakistan football has suffered badly from political parties fighting over control of the federation, which receives a large annual grant from world governing body FIFA. The federation was for 10 years run by a FIFA-appointed committee and earlier this year briefly suspended for political interference ahead of elections in May. FIFA in 2021 banned Pakistan from playing international matches for 15 months, also for political interference in the federation. Solano's first task will be with the under-23s men's team, who are due to face Cambodia, Iraq and Oman in September in qualifying for the U23 Asian Cup next year. Solano's first matches in charge of the senior team will be a double-header against Afghanistan in 2027 Asian Cup qualifying in October. Pakistan kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 away defeat to Syria in March and a 1-0 loss to Myanmar in Yangon last month. sh/ecl/dh
France 24
22-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Newcastle cult hero 'Nobby' Solano appointed Pakistan coach
Solano, 50, who also played for Aston Villa and West Ham United in the English Premier League before retiring in 2012, was an assistant coach for his country Peru when they qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "We have hired the services of Solano with a hope that he will bring more energy and zest to the national players and lift our standings at the international level," the Pakistan Football Federation president, Mohsen Gilani, said in a statement. The cricket-obsessed nation has reached the second round of Asian qualifying for the FIFA World Cup only once. Pakistan are 201st of 210 teams the in FIFA world men's team rankings, and have sought to improve standards by inducting players of Pakistan heritage based in the UK. Pakistan football has suffered badly from political parties fighting over control of the federation, which receives a large annual grant from world governing body FIFA. The federation was for 10 years run by a FIFA-appointed committee and earlier this year briefly suspended for political interference ahead of elections in May. FIFA in 2021 banned Pakistan from playing international matches for 15 months, also for political interference in the federation. Solano's first task will be with the under-23s men's team, who are due to face Cambodia, Iraq and Oman in September in qualifying for the U23 Asian Cup next year. Solano's first matches in charge of the senior team will be a double-header against Afghanistan in 2027 Asian Cup qualifying in October. Pakistan kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 away defeat to Syria in March and a 1-0 loss to Myanmar in Yangon last month.
