ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Saturday announced a 23-member national team squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 in Indonesia, which is scheduled from September 25 to October 5.
The squad brings together players travelling from Pakistan as well as members of the national team based abroad, the federation said in a press release.
Head coach Nolberto Solano will join the team join the team directly in Indonesia as they compete in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, which brings together teams from across the ASEAN region.
Due to visa delay issues, Solano was unable to reach Islamabad to join Pakistan’s training camp, so in his absence assistant coaches Titus Bramble and Walid Javaid have been overseeing the training matters, Dawn reported.
The 23-member squad includes Yousuf Butt, Hassan Ali, Saqib Hanif, Abdullah Shah, Abdul Rahman, Ali Khan, Ali Agha, Hayyan Khattak, Ali Uzair, Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad Arshad, Kaleem Ullah, Shayek Dost, Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman, Mohib Ullah, Mamoon Khan, Mohd Fazal, Haris Zeb, Umer Nawaz, Abdul Samad and Ali Khan.
The squad will be led by captain Abdullah Iqbal, while veteran forward Kaleemullah makes a comeback to the national side. Abdul Samad, the Pakistan U-17 captain, is also part of the squad.
The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 will provide Pakistan with an opportunity to compete on a new international platform and further strengthen its preparations against teams from the ASEAN region.
Earlier, PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani also visited Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad to meet the national team during their training camp. The PFF president spoke about the preparations and also reviewed the arrangements for the team.
Pakistan have been drawn in Group B of Division One alongside Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Shaheens will begin their campaign against Thailand on September 26 before facing the Philippines on September 29, with their final group-stage fixture against Vietnam on October 2.
Pakistan entered the tournament after China withdrew from the inaugural edition to focus on preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup and 2030 World Cup qualifiers.
Pakistan won the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in the Maldives earlier this year to end a 74-year wait for a title.
