KARACHI: Pakistani football fans may not get to see their country’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Jordan at home since the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has verified that Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad is not up to the criteria of the world’s governing body.
The PFF stated that it is actively looking at alternate locations in a statement that was made public on Monday in order to guarantee that the game is held in a neutral site.
“In collaboration with the Pakistan Sports Board, the Pakistan Football Federation has been dedicatedly working on preparing Jinnah Stadium for the upcoming March match against Jordan,” said the PFF.
“Regrettably, despite our best efforts, the current standard of Jinnah Stadium does not meet FIFA requirements,” said the statement.
“As the March game is scheduled to be held under lights and coincides with Ramazan, meeting FIFA’s lighting standards with the current setup has posed difficulties,” the PFF said as a significant challenge relating to lighting circumstances.
The PFF stated that it will continue to investigate other options, citing the January 21 deadline for venue submission and its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the game. “We will be in contact with the Jordan Football Association to discuss arrangements for a neutral venue for the home leg,” the statement continued.
In November, Jinnah Stadium played host to Pakistan’s home match in the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Tajikistan. The game was attended by a crowd of 24,000 supporters of the national team.Pakistani football supporters are dismayed by this unexpected development, even if their country’s next home game against Jordan is set for March 21.
