Nadia excited to be back after injury layoff

KARACHI: After a year-long recovery from an ACL injury, Nadia Khan is back in action with the Pakistan Women’s National Football Team and is eager to make an impact in the upcoming SAFF Championship.

Nadia expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “I can’t wait to play in this tournament,” as she looks forward to competing at an international level once again. “Alhamdulillah, I’ve come back stronger from the injury, and I’m excited to be back on the field. There have been a few setbacks, but I’m really confident that we can push forward and make a good impact with the team that we have now,” said Nadia in an interview to The News.

Nadia, 23, last played for Pakistan at the SAFF championship in Nepal two years ago. Despite the challenges she faced during her recovery, the forward remains positive. “It’s mentality and my drive to continue and grow that has pushed me forward,” she explained. “I’ve learned to not see my injury as a setback. Instead, it drove me to say, ‘If I can do it, I will do it.’ I see it more as a positive thing. It has taught me resilience and determination, making me grow as a player.”

Looking ahead to the SAFF Championship, Nadia is filled with anticipation. “I’m just so excited to play on the international field again. Playing for my country is a totally different feeling that I can’t express,” she stated. While she has set personal goals for the tournament, she chose to keep them private for now. “My personal targets will be in my head. I won’t release them just yet,” she added. Nadia expressed her concern over the lack of international matches for the team. “We deserve to play more international games, especially in different FIFA windows,” she said. “We train so hard, and while training is important, we also deserve more opportunities to play internationally. Inshallah, in the future, we will get more of a rhythm to that.”

Nadia expressed confidence in Pakistan’s squad and hoped for good results in SAFF Championship. “I have full confidence in my group and our coaching staff,” Khan remarked. “The whole squad, from the managers to the players on the field and on the bench, every single person, I have full confidence that we will go forward and make a statement.”

Nadia, who plays for Doncaster Rovers Belles and is one of the first British-Pakistani women to compete internationally for Pakistan, noted significant improvements in local players since her last involvement with the team. “From when I first saw the players play, especially the local players, it’s such a big difference in how they form and control the ball,” she said. “That’s a credit to the players and the coaches for developing themselves. I was shocked by the progress I’ve seen, and I’m sure other foreign players feel the same way.”

Asked if external distractions, such as issues surrounding No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for the team’s participation distracts the players, Nadia said the team was focused on their performance. “No, not really. Because we’re focused on our game, and we leave that to the people behind the scenes to do their jobs,” she said. “Our job is to focus on the game and how we’re going to play. Inshallah, we have full belief that everything will fall into place. I don’t think it affects us mentally now.”

As the team gears up for the championship, Nadia is optimistic about the prospects. “With the players we have, I expect us to perform to our best abilities,” she stated. “There’s a rhythm we have that will show in the matches, Inshallah.”