Pakistan Football federation

Pakistan Football federation

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), founded in 1947, is the national governing body for association football in Pakistan. A member of FIFA, the international governing body of football. It is also affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation and the South Asian Football Federation. The PFF oversees not only the national football team but also manages the futsal and beach soccer national teams.

History of football federation of Pakistan

Upon Pakistan’s independence in 1947, both East and West wings inherited the football infrastructure of the British Raj. The urgent need to establish a nationwide football association for proper governance arose. As India had inherited the Calcutta-based Indian Football Association and the All-India Football Federation (AIFF).

On 5 December 1947, the Pakistan Football Federation was created, with Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s first Governor-General, serving as the patron-in-chief. In 1948, the PFF became affiliated with FIFA, and it was a founding member of the Asian Football Confederation in 1954. The PFF organized the inaugural National Football Championship from 28 May to 5 June 1948 in Karachi, where Sindh Red emerged victorious over Sindh Blue in the final.

However, the game’s development faced obstacles, and Pakistan’s participation in international competitions was irregular. The standard achieved in the early 1950s couldn’t be maintained due to a lack of organizational structure in the game

Sub federation of PFF

There are 7 provincial associations affiliated with the PFF

• Islamabad Football Federation
• Punjab Football Association
• Sindh Football Association
• Balochistan Football Association
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Association
• Azad Kashmir Football Association
• Gilgit-Baltistan Football Association

 FIFA Suspended PFF

 July 2017 Suspension

FIFA issued a threat to suspend the Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) membership unless it relinquished control of football affairs to its president-elect, Faisal Saleh Hayat. In response, former coach Nasir Ismail called for fresh elections for the PFF’s presidency.[39]

On 10 October 2017,

 FIFA suspended the PFF with immediate effect, citing undue third-party interference according to the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council dated 10 October 2017. FIFA has decided to suspend the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) with immediate effect in accordance with the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council dated 10 October 2017 on account of undue third-party interference.

On 13 March 2018, FIFA lifted the suspension, granting Pakistan the opportunity to participate in the 2018 Asian Games and the 2018 SAFF competitions.

2021 Suspension

Moving to the 2021 scenario, on 7 April 2021, FIFA once again suspended the federation with immediate effect, citing third-party interference as a serious violation of the FIFA statutes. The suspension, however, was lifted on 29 June 2022.

Current Squad Of Pakistan Football Team