I'm mentioned in FourFourTwo

[Suprah]

Nov 2008 UK edition. Page 139 ^_^


Got my free copy from FFT in the morning after I had done some Q&A about Pakistani football (although they didnt really mention what I wanted them to mention - plus the choice of pictures in the article are not good either)





























will upload the actual scanned page on monday so that folks can actually see the article

[ardi11]

congrats

[Super Shojaei]

well done man!

[toofan]

cool

[Farhad-7]

ok nice!

[yashar_fasihnia]

great job ahsan!!
congratz!

[Suprah]

great job ahsan!!
congratz!

Ahsan was my late grandpa I prefer being simply called Ali

[South Iraq]

Nice one man, dont forget to scan your autograph as well

Is that Eric Cantona on the front cover or am I mistaken? Man he looks like one of those Jihadi Islamists

[kaebi kabab]

#3.60 is alot for that mag how did you end up writing for dem

[kaebi kabab]

with your clothes of hey suprahh i expected better

[The]

Ewww...
They let your kind have an opinion England?










I kid of course...

[Suprah]

Ewww...
They let your kind have an opinion England?

[Türküm]

congrats!

[Suprah]

This was the actual interview I gave to FourFourTwo via emails between us.
All answers by Ali Ahsan - staff member at FootballPakistan.com (FPDC) - ali.ahsan@footballpakistan.com

- How would you assess Pakistan football (both national team and domestic) at the moment?
Where to start: well the national team is stuck in a state of inertia because of 2 years wasted by PFF in not acquiring a foreign coach immediately after Bahrain's Salman Sharida left after the 2006 Doha Asian Games, as well not enough regular friendlies for most of the time to keep the players from local teams and foreign teams close to each other more often than not. The result of which means Pakistan national team usually starts from scratch in preparing for tournaments. The fitness levels have gone up, but organisation in the team as well as defending is still atrocious - not to mention no real goal scorer found to bury chances. WAPDA's Arif Mehmood and Army's Imran Hussain - both of whom have been top scorers in past Pakistan Premier League seasons - have been utter duds on international duty. Sorry, but these two lads cant cut it.

Talent has always been there, in Pakistan and in Europe, but hasnt been properly utilised to get the best out of the players at home because of lack of proper up-to-date coaches in the clubs and department sides. That and also the still semi-pro/amatuer setup of the domestic football teams has meant Pakistan is still stuck when it should have been competing beyond South Asia easily because of the depth of talent we have. The league system is still far away from a decent one. Fixture congestion of the league and mismanaged tournament dates mean players are absolutely exhausted and cant perform their best at all. PFF says its because of 'budgeting issues' the league cant go beyond 2-3 months in duration, which to me is a lame excuse despite all the grants PFF gets from FIFA and AFC programs. A good league is at least 5-6 months long in duration with not less than 4-5 days of rest between fixtures. Also since many players in Pakistan are usually employed by various government departments and hence also play for either local clubs or their sports teams, some government departments act so foolishly in talent management that this year WAPDA Sports Board decided to hold a tournament for selection of the future WAPDA team from its regional centres, right in the middle of the Pakistan Premier League 2008-09 season causing teams like PTV, and PMC Athletico to lose many of their key players who work in such departments in the middle of the season and then getting the players back tired, injured and fatigued.

There are still fatal flaws in the football structure in Pakistan because of bureaucratic ineptness and political arm-twisting going on inside the PFF offices, which has always affected the game in a negative way and will so until the whole board and thinking is changed from politicians who know nothing of the game and are happy cashing checks to their names, to ex-players who actually know the game and want to change the setup but arent 'political' enough to make a difference.


- With the collapse of Moldovan Eugen's appointment yesterday (Wednesday), is there still a desire within Pakistan football generally for a foreign coach?
Well, the dire need of a foreign coach has been what we at FPDC have been crying from the top of our lunges since Sharida left the side almost 2 years ago. Sharida had at least made Pakistani football team more consistent and was improving slowly. But his loss meant that progress slid off, and the 'cash-saving' appointment of Akhtar Mohiuddin who is a rather qualified coach but having a mindset that didnt chopped and changed the team and never allowed the team to settle in, with many deserving players at home and abroad not being called in where they could have made a difference. From ignoring the solid Amjad Iqbal from Farsley Celtic - a midfielder who actually excels in defence - to local players like Yasir Afridi, Abdul Rehman etc, the team wasnt always kept the same and that meant it was new for many players. That and poor defensive guidance meant Pakistan failed to make a mark in the SAFF Cup and AFC Challenge Cup qualification this year - two tournaments that Pakistan could have easily won had the best players of home and abroad been selected and a coach who knew how to play the game.

We at FPDC had ran from pillar to post in trying to help PFF get a good coach bargain. Be it approaching Iran's Human Afazeli who was ready to drop his pay demands and accept the post, to getting the necessary correspondence ready with Germany's DFB in acquiring assistance for coaching the team, to many other European and Asian coaches willing to take over inspite of the fee demand they had to tone down, PFF showed just how much red-tape, politicking, and bureaucratic it is when neither of these proposals were accepted by them, which disappointed many of the coaches and in fact tarnished FPDC's own reputation with these people because of PFF and its diabolical behaviour.

PFF have a history of saying something big, but doing zero. Big claims have been their name; from having an agreement with Arsenal FC for assistance, to saying Romania legend Gheorghe Hagi had 'agreed to coach Pakistan' over the past 2 years, and PFF 'being very close to getting a new foreign coach', to PFF President contacting the embassies of European countries for assistance rather than directly contacting the national FA's which any sane mind would try doing, as well as countless other tall claims that eventually seem like a mirage have made us rightly predict Eugen's appointment wasnt really going to happen. Now they are saying, PFF want Salman Sharida back in the national team, but even that seems a smoke screen to us. PFF know we can help finish this farcical situation with DFB assistance for national teams as well as some coaches we know of who still want to work. Why are they not wanting this even now, you decide. People want change, and for one thing PFF needs the change for football to really progress in Pakistan.


- How would you describe the structure of the PFF, in particular its relationship with the government and clubs themselves?
Well since I have already discussed what the PFF is, I will say to me that its more like a yes-man fan club for the current PFF President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat where he is mentioned in all PFF press releases for tournaments and any programs PFF is running, and literally regarded as a messiah of football and showering of rose petals on the holy name of the PFF President. That seems more like political sloganeering to boost the votes, since Faisal Saleh Hayat belongs to a well-known feudal lord family as well as being a sleazy political bigshot from his home constituency of Shah Jewna from where he is an elected Member of the National Assembly. The football aspect seems to be played down in comparison of the greatness and blessings of Faisal Saleh Hayat and this is bad for football in terms of publicity where not many players are known in Pakistan, but everyone knows that Faisal Saleh Hayat is PFF President. This has got to stop. Football needs the attention, not some old political strongman surrounded by his yes men.

PFF itself is under the wing of the Pakistan Sports Board, and its relationship with government is cozy because of so many politicians and bureaucrats in charge of it. However, that means ineptness runs through and if something goes wrong, the matter is happily swept under the carpet as long as rival political interests arent ignited. This is one reason why all sports boards in Pakistan are in a state of stagnation for so long. Same with clubs where usually government department sides take part anyway - and to be fair such department sides are the main lifeline for domestic sport in Pakistan so they deserve credit - but smaller clubs arent usually given the room to breathe as much as government sports teams are because of red tape.
In fact, we at FPDC now share joint control of Pakistan Premier League team since July. The old Punjab Medical College team is now PMC Club Athletico Faisalabad. From the moment we took control of the team with the eagerness shown by PMC FC chairman Rai Saif ur Rehman Bhatti, to the name change we did for the team, PFF has shown signs of discomfort as well as jealousy towards our activity - if despising FPDC wasnt enough now they to have to deal with a PPL team that is owned by people affiliated to FPDC. We want to establish a professional setup with this team and win the league in the next coming years so that people take notice.


- The PFF has been involved in two controversial incidents in recent times, firstly with the removal of Muslim Butt and secondly with the closure of Shahu United's academy. What would be the rationale behind both these actions? Would they be considered isolated incidents, or "typical" of football within Pakistan?
Well, all of us at FPDC know Muslim Butt really well. A really nice man, he has played football in the past for WAPDA, knows his football and what should be done, as well as being a nice coach material if he dedicates time to it. However, he never had the political leverage in PFF that other officials enjoyed so he was very much stuck with the system which he too wanted to change. His dismissal by PFF, where he was unjustly used as a scapegoat for the ineptness of his own superiors, meant that now PFF doesnt have anyone in their offices that actually knows football and what it needs. Now Muslim Butt is taking time off from PFF, and concentrating on teaching Mathematics to secondary school students in Lahore apart from his daily interests in local football of course.

The Garhi Shahu United academy incident seems like something that ruffled the feathers of the Lahore District Football Association, Punjab FA, and PFF officials - the very political nonsense that I talk of. So its no surprise that GSUFC CEO Sheikh Siddique has been suspended from all football activity for his troubles and PFF justify it by saying he broke the Code of Conduct and Discipline rules, which doesnt surprise me as the IQ of such officials in Pakistan is as high as poultry and loose talk by such people in the lower cadres end up being a self-made grave. Such incidents are common place, not to mention of allegations towards referees demanding bribes from club officials if they want favourable decisions on the pitch showcase how much nonsense goes on back stage.


- As a counteraction, the PFF have recently set up the Geo League. Have inital signs shown a raise in standard and profile in comparison to the Pakistan Premier League? Also, are footballers now more likely to be able to make a living from playing professionally, even if not to the same levels as cricketers can?

Well the Geo Super Football League was a success in 2007 where tv coverage was given to domestic football for the first time. But the whole Geo Super League concept seemed a one-off project to see if this can be repeated on the Pakistan Premier League matches by providing television coverage for certain games. So there is good progress on this, and Geo TV want to do its part in promoting such sports in Pakistan on their Geo Super channel. So hopefully there will be some coverage of matches of Pakistan Premier League that can rake in sponsors and money which PFF and football teams need for sustained development as well as promotion among the public. What is certain that Geo Super League is probably a defunct competition.

That said, sides like National Bank, Habib Bank, WAPDA, KRL, PIA and other big government departments with their football teams now usually employ their players full-time during off season with a decent wage package to keep the players and their families satsified. This is a good sign in securing the finances of such players and encourage them to play the game. However, these players are ignorant in things like contracts and agents which dont exist in Pakistan as of yet. The best way for these players to become better is playing in foreign leagues around Asia like Iran, UAE, India, Maldives, Malaysia etc. Other teams are still not paying enough to their footballers, and the good players end up leaving the departments and clubs for better wages at the bigger departments. Still early days, as professional football doesnt exist in Pakistan for now. We at FPDC want to change all that.

- What is the current state of the Lyari in regards to Pakistani football? Does the setup of the Geo League help or hinder their chances of progressing?
Well Lyari Town (or Liyari Town) area of Karachi has always been famous for being football mad, as well as being a very multi-ethnic but politically tense part of the metropolis - exciting and dangerous isnt it ? Despite the gang troubles, rival political factions, and ethnic tensions, thankfully no one touches football in Lyari as that keeps the densely populated area alive and ticking. It has always been the main producer of football players in the south of the country, the other being Faisalabad in the north although the latter is more low-profile than Lyari Town. All Karachi-based government department teams as well as those from across Sindh and Balochistan provinces usually take Lyari footballers in their side and they establish themselves. Many small clubs exist there, but the problem with Lyari is that it does not have one proper football setup that can harness the abdunance of talent and use them to actually take on the government departments of the city and challenge nationwide. That too, is mainly because of mismanaged and disorganised setup of football, lack of money and initiative, as well as the usual politicking amongst football officials of the area. Otherwise a well-oiled Lyari team that uses local talent and good football can easily turn heads and become a nationwide powerhouse rather than remaining a glorified talent feeder area.

- There seems to be a move towards adopting the "grandmother rule", as in players with Pakistani parents/grandparents. Zesh Rehman is a good example. How successful has this approach been? And is it considered good or bad for the game domestically?
Well I wouldnt call it as literally as grandmother rule, because quite frankly the parents of players like Adnan Ahmed, Zesh Rehman, Amjad Iqbal etc are all immigrants from Pakistan. It is good for the national team progress because such players bring the necessary technical know-how and organisation of such leagues in UK/EU to the national team as well as the skill and physical element in the side. They are looked upon by many local players as the right tools for success and these players arent shy in helping the local players out in training and teamwork. One success was more media exposure for the team at both home and abroad where there are large Pakistani communities in UK/EU. More and more kids are taking up football in these parts, and many players of Pakistani-origin have been discovered.

One fine example is 19 year old striker Reis Ashraf, who is a former youth at Coventry City strangely released despite his immense goal scoring form in the youth and reserve teams there. Reis is currently taking part in the exclsuive Glenn Hoddle Football Academy for young players let go by EPL/Championship teams who want to still establish themselves as professionals. Reis is a cousin of footballers Michael Nardiello and Daniel Nardiello from his mother's side. We have been in touch with him, and are keeping close tabs on his progress with an eye for Pakistan national team where he qualifies for because of his Pakistani father.


- Overall, how do you see the future (both short and longer term) for Pakistani football?
Despite all the ugliness of PFF and politics, the long term future will remain bright as the increased number of Pakistani-origin players taking up football in UK, our own PMC Athletico team slowly getting on its feet for future league conquests, as well as more coverage because of EPL, La Liga and Champions League coverage sparking up interest at home means talent will always remain. We at FPDC will remain on the front trying to make football better in Pakistan in scouting players, coaches, as well as running a team of our own.

Short term success deals with the swift appointment of a foreign coach who can use all the talent - local and foreign - to make the national team be prepared from some crucial tournaments in future like the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup (winner of Challenge Cup qualifies for 2011 AFC Asian Cup) and SAFF Cup by having whole of 2009 for friendlies and tours. The sooner it happens the better for national team, the better for football, the better for Pakistan. Its time to make it happen

[chuck bass]

hmmm i wonder if they'll translate your article in the norwegian version
congrats