Brazilian trainer Portella to join Pak soccer camp tomorrow

KARACHI: Brazilian trainer Jose Roberto Portella will reach Lahore on Friday (tomorrow) to join Pakistan football team who will begin their preparation for the Asian Games and SAFF Cup on the same day.

As many as 56 home-grown players have been invited to the camp, which will start on Friday night at the Model Ground in Lahore. Brazilian coach Jose Antonio Nogueira will supervise the camp.

The players will start arriving in Punjab capital from Thursday (today). The players will be boarded at the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) hostel. There will be a rest day after every nine days training. The camp will be reduced to 40 after a 15-day of training. Nogueira, also a former Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli club coach, has said he would be able to form a fighting side.

“We are to start from below zero. And I am confident that gradually the players will improve and we will be able to form a fighting lot for the Asian Games and SAFF Cup,” Nogueira told ‘The News’ on Wednesday.

Nogueira, along with the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Technical Study Group (TSG), has shortlisted the players from the National Chalenge Cup which held early this month in Karachi.In the first phase which will last till June 20 only home-grown players will be trained while in the second phase foreign-based stuff will also come.

Denmark-based gloveman Yousuf Butt, strikers Hassan Bashir and Mohammad Ali are expected to become part of Pakistan’s side. Danish Superliga midfielder Adnan Mohammad would also come to Pakistan on June 10. He will also be tested for selection. On the first day of training camp a medical check-up of players will also be conducted.

In the Asian Games to be held in Indonesia from August 18 to September 2 an under-23 side, with three seniors, will be fielded. In the SAFF Cup to be held in Bangladesh from September 4-15 a full senior side may be fielded. Nogueira said that only six-day break will be given to the players during Eid-ul-Fitr. “Only six-day break. Not more as time is already short,” Nogueira said.

June 10 has been kept as last date for sending entries by name for the Asian Games. The entries will be forwarded to the organsiers of the Asiad through Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). This will be after long three years that Pakistan will hold its national team camp. The conflict between PFF and its rival group destroyed Pakistan’s football beyond repair.

The country did not feature in any international event during the same period. It also could not hold its Premier League in the same period. Because of the strained relations between Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and PFF the state is not likely to sponsor Pakistan football team for the Asian Games. The PFF will have to meet its own expenses.