Haroon Malik, Chairperson of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalization Committee (NC), shared his perspectives on the Pakistan Women’s Football Team during a podcast with ProSports. He highlighted the women’s team’s accomplishments, including victories against Laos, a Top 100 FIFA World Rankings team – an achievement the men’s team has yet to reach. Malik emphasized the rapid progress of the women’s team, dispelling earlier doubts about their abilities.
Reflecting on the past, Malik stated that had the women’s team received adequate support in the country’s initial 75 years, they could have achieved greater success. The women’s team has notably triumphed over countries like Tajikistan and Comoros and secured draws against Saudi Arabia.
In contrast, with the men’s football team set to face Saudi Arabia, ranked 57th globally, and given Pakistan’s 193rd rank, Malik expressed skepticism about the men’s team’s chances, especially after the women’s team’s success against Tajikistan. The men’s team faces a challenging encounter with Saudi Arabia followed by a match against Tajikistan on November 21, 2023, at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. The stark contrast in expectations between the men’s and women’s teams underscores the significant strides made by the latter.
