Pak footballers begin training today

KARACHI: National footballers will assemble in Lahore on Wednesday (today) to kick-start their preparation at the City School for two international assignments next month. The Green-shirts will feature in the Four-Nation tournament to be held from June 8-18. Besides Pakistan and Mauritius, Kenya and Djibouti are the other teams in the tournament which will be played in FIFA Days.

After this, Pakistan will travel to India to feature in the SAFF Cup to be held in Bengaluru from June 21 to July 4. As many as 28 players have been invited for the camp which will be conducted by head coach Shehzad Anwar.

Besides Denmark-based Hasan Bashir and Yousuf Butt and English semi-professional club Kingstonian FC player Harun Hamid, Aston Villa academy graduate and former England Under-20 captain Easah Suliman and Grimsby Town midfielder Otis Khan have been named among the camp probables.

These two big players are expected to make their Pakistan debut. Former Burnley and West Brom youngster Rahis Nabi has also been recalled.

Camp probables:

Goalkeepers: Saqib Hanif, Salman ul Haq, Abdul Basit and Yousaf Ijaz Butt Defenders: Muhammad Umar Hayat, Ali Khan Niazi, Muhammad Sufyan, Muhammad Umer Saeed, Mamoon Moosa Khan, Syed Abdullah Shah, Haseeb Ahmed Khan, Sardar Wali, Sohail, Easah Suliman and Abdullah Iqbal.

Midfielders: Alamgir Ali Khan Ghazi, Ali Uzair Mahmood, Moin Ahmed, Shayak Dost, Muhammad Waleed Khan, Rahis Nabi, Harun Arrashid Faheem Hamid, Umair Ali and Muhammad Adnan Yaqoob.

Forwards: Abdul Samad Shahzad, Otis Jan Mohammad Khan, Hassan Naweed Bashir, Muhammad Waheed.