Pakistan miss friendly against Russia due to lack of preparation

KARACHI: Pakistan’s national football team missed out on the opportunity to play a friendly match against Russia due to insufficient preparation time, sources said.

Talks between the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and the Russian Football Federation for an October match fell through as Pakistan cited a lack of time to adequately prepare for such a high-ranking opponent.

Russia, ranked 34th in the world, had offered to host 195th-ranked Pakistan in a friendly match during the October FIFA international window. The Russian Football Federation proposed a match on Oct. 11 and was willing to cover all expenses.

However, the PFF turned down the offer, citing the need for more time to assemble players and organise a training camp. “The team needs adequate preparation to face a top-tier opponent like Russia,” a PFF source said. “Given the short notice, it wasn’t possible to call up the players and conduct the necessary training to perform at our best.”

The PFF later suggested rescheduling the match for November, but the Russians declined. The last communication between the two federations occurred in late September, and with no progress since, the chances of a match now appear unlikely.

Additionally, sources said that FIFA will not be releasing funds to the PFF for friendly matches, complicating any future efforts to arrange international games. “Discussions with Russia started because they were willing to bear all the expenses,” one source said. “A match in the future will only be possible if the hosting federation agrees to cover the costs.”