What does Maradona know about Pakistan football?

[Saifullah Sani]

Nothing much it seems.

All Diego Maradona knows is that Pakistan haven’t featured at a World Cup.

And for that, he’s compared the Argentina Football Federation (AFA) with the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), apparently implying that his country's federation is as incompetent.

This is not surprising at all because the former World Cup winner wants to be the Argentina national team coach at the upcoming World Cup in Brazil.

In an interview with German magazine Sport Bild, the man who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup expressed his frustrations for being sacked as the 'Albiceleste' coach after their 2010 FIFA World Cup debacle when they were crushed 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals.

“The AFA has played dirty tricks on me. I should have also been the Argentina coach at the [2014] World Cup. But the current leaders of the association understand as much about football as Pakistan does,” he said.

“They don't have a clue at all.

“To clarify: There are certainly many good things in Pakistan, but I have never seen them play a World Cup final.

“I say: The current association leaders in Argentina are the same as Pakistan.”

And while the social media goes crazy over what Maradona said, lets just pause for a minute and see what the Pakistan Football Federation has been doing over the years.

Is it really that bad? No, it isn’t.

While it’s easy to sit back and, as a armchair critic, suggest that football hasn’t grown in Pakistan and nothing has been done by the PFF, it’s time to get the facts straight.

The PFF, headed by Faisal Saleh Hayat, has been running the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) for the last ten years.

In the last decade, not a single season has been missed, and that too despite the federation running on grants from FIFA and AFC.

Over the last three years, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) have been champions.

Last season, they became the first club team from Pakistan to reach the final of an AFC competition when they were beaten finalists in the AFC President’s Cup – the continent’s third-tier club competition.

This season, if KRL get through the first round of the President’s Cup, they will qualify for next year’s AFC Cup – Asia’s version of the Europa League.

Last month Kyrgyzstan’s Dordoi Dynamo signed KRL’s star attackers Mohammad Adil and Kaleemullah.

Both now have a chance at a better future.

Could they have done that without the PPFL?

“The current PFF setup is working towards lifting the standard of football step by step,” KRL head-coach Tariq Lutfi told Dawn.com.

“It would be foolish to expect them to turn things overnight but we should support them in their endeavours because they at least have ensured a proper football structure in the country,” adds the UEFA A-Licensed coach, who is also, arguably, Pakistan’s most decorated coach.

Not only is the PFF organizing the league, but it’s also trying to focus on youth football and women’s football.

Pakistan were the winners of the inaugural SAFF U-16 Championship in 2011.

There is a PFF Women’s Championship which is held every year and this year, Pakistan will host the SAFF Women’s Championship.

The PFF has managed to do all that despite internal turmoil and unrest in the country, despite the threat of militant insurgency, and, most importantly, despite a lack of sponsorship for a majority of its tournaments.

The PFF got the most ‘Aspiring Member Association’ award by AFC last year and they plan to launch academies all throughout the country through FIFA’s goal projects by next year. And at least they have a target to achieve – it is ‘Goal 2022’ by when PFF hope to bring Pakistan team in the top 10 countries in Asia.

It’s a massive task and it won’t be easy but the PFF need our support – and not undue criticism. They’ve done best what can be done given the meagre resources Pakistan get through FIFA’s aid and sports grants by the government.

The truth is, football in the country can’t grow until local football fans become fans of Pakistan football.

As far as Maradona is concerned, he should learn from Pele on how not to give outlandish statements and be a true gentleman.

As far as the AFA are concerned, it’s a case of sour grapes perhaps for Maradona as Argentina qualified for the 2014 World Cup under coach Alejandro Sabella with a stroll and are installed big favourites to win it in Brazil!

What does Maradona know about Pakistan football? - DAWN.COM

 

[Malik Usman]

So we can say as much as Brazilians know about Cricket...

 

[Elucid]

Maradona's comments are completely natural. He wanted to convey the incompetence of AFA so he compared them to the worst footballing nation among the fifty odd prominent countries in the world.

 

[xyxmt]

Maradona's comments are completely natural. He wanted to convey the incompetence of AFA so he compared them to the worst footballing nation among the fifty odd prominent countries in the world.

writers have a job to do as well

 

[Lil Mathew]

if he knows nothing about pakistan's football.. then why he used that name??? that means he involundarily used word pakistan for describing incompetence... it's shame for every pakistanis.. what actually responsible for this condition?? the one and only answer is terrorism... think and wake up..
now a dayz this is becoming common.. malasian flight missed everybody including boeing suspected pakistan.. everybody suspecting every terrorists in the world hiding in pakistan... state and its agencies supporting terrorism.. bin laden killed in the heart of a city..

 

[Elucid]

if he knows nothing about pakistan's football.. then why he used that name??? that means he involundarily used word pakistan for describing incompetence... it's shame for every pakistanis.. what actually responsible for this condition?? the one and only answer is terrorism... think and wake up..
now a dayz this is becoming common.. malasian flight missed everybody including boeing suspected pakistan.. everybody suspecting every terrorists in the world hiding in pakistan... state and its agencies supporting terrorism.. bin laden killed in the heart of a city..

I think you are mentally challenged.

 

[blackface]

So we can say as much as Brazilians know about Cricket...

I approve of this message...

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

What an idiot. I wish our team was half as good as Argentina's.

And I dont know why he's so butt-hurt when not only Argentine qualified for WC - but Maradona is in line trying to win the job as Argentina's national coach

 

[darkinsky]

I approve of this message...

what about thong

What an idiot. I wish our team was half as good as Argentina's.

And I dont know why he's so butt-hurt when not only Argentine qualified for WC - but Maradona is in line trying to win the job as Argentina's national coach

here are egyptians

here is maradona

short neck idiots

 

[queerbait]

Pakistani over-reacting as usual,he took a name at the spur of the moment,he did not belittled pakistan , its just some luck, he could have taken india's name as well or for that matter any country not good with football.But some of the internet warriors here have been miffed with his statements....secretly i think they are happy,,,,one of the best fotball player in the world has taken their name take solace in that and stop gettting upset over silly non-issues.

 

[blackface]

what about thong

What???

 

[Saifullah Sani]

what about thong



here are egyptians

here is maradona

short neck idiots

Egypt’s el-Sissi resigns from military and announces he will run for president - The Globe and Mail
yes Egypt is not Pakistan Egypt is like North Korea

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

what about thong



here are egyptians

here is maradona

short neck idiots

Well judging by today, Egypt is much worse off than Pakistan is at the moment. But i dont even know who that lady is so I wouldnt be worried about it.

as for Maradona - I have some respect for him. But he's old news. He berates a team but wants to become its coach at the same time.

It's like me saying f*ck india and everyone in it but I want to be their next prime minister

(God forbid)

 

[Skull and Bones]

The only thing he had to know is South Asian football talent sucks monkey balls.

 

[Umair Nawaz]

Any ways challenge accepted.

Exclusive: Maradona willing to come to Pakistan, says agent
UMAID WASIM

“Even if he was to come for a day and spend some time with our national players, that would motivate them to a new level.”
Updated 2014-03-28 16:48:46


After a day of tiki taka in which Diego Maradona compared the Argentina Football Association (AFA) to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and the PFF Marketing Consultant Sardar Naveed Haider Khan replied with a tongue-in-cheek comment that the Argentina legend should come visit Pakistan, it has come down to this.

Maradona is willing to come to Pakistan.

In a communication between Sardar Naveed and Maradona’s manager Gustavo Amador Moure, shared with Dawn.com, the latter has asked the PFF to send an official invitation for the 53-year-old football great.

“We would wait for the mandate from the PFF to schedule a meeting with Diego’s lawyer and advance this situation as soon as possible,” Moure, of the ABC Sports Agency, says in his e-mail.

“Diego knows something [about Pakistan] as Ahmer Kunwar [of British-based sportsmanagement company TouchSky Sports] spoke to me about the possibility of doing something with him in Pakistan.”

So far, it’s a stunning development.

And if it does happen, Sardar Naveed believes it will be huge for football in Pakistan.

“Football in Pakistan is in need of help and support,” Sardar Naveed told Dawn.com.

“What better help can there be than a player of Maradona’s stature coming to Pakistan,” he asks.

“He’s regarded as one of the greatest players to have played the game of football.

“Not only that, but he enjoys great popularity in Pakistan.

“Imagine what were to happen if he would arrive at the Quaid-i-Azam International Airport in Karachi or the Allama Iqbal Airport in Lahore.

“Fans would throng by the thousands just to get a glimpse of him.

“The interest that would create for football in the country, especially the interest in Pakistani football, would be immense.”

Sardar Naveed added that the PFF would be sending the official invitation to Maradona very soon and urged the government to play their part in making it happen.

“This is an opportunity for the government of Pakistan to step in and make it happen for the growth of football in Pakistan,” he said.

Maradona has previously been to the sub-continent – both times to India – and has been treated to rapturous welcomes on his arrival.

He first came to India in 2008 when he set up a football academy in Kolkata with his latest visit there coming in 2012 when he launched a jewelry store in Kerala.

His visit to Pakistan, though, would be solely for football.

“It would be massive for the country’s football if Maradona were to come to Pakistan,” Pakistan’s most decorated football coach Tariq Lutfi told Dawn.com.

“Even if he was to come for a day and spend some time with our national players, that would motivate them to a new level.”

Maradona, who spearheaded Argentina to the 1986 FIFA World Cup, is the honourary sports ambassador for the Dubai Sports Council (DSC).

He coached Dubai-based club Al Wasl for a year before he was fired in 2012. He was also Argentina’s coach in the 2010 FIFA World Cup where they were knocked out by Germany in the quarter-finals.

So far it seems Maradona’s arrival would come through a collaboration between the PFF and TouchSky Sports.

TouchSky Sports are UEFA-licensed match agents and were behind an initiative to arrange a series between the football teams of Pakistan and India in England in 2011.

The series never took place after TouchSky Sports cited they hadn’t received adequate money from the sponsors to hold the series titled ‘Clash of the Titans’.