Football is the most-watched sport in the world and is loved by audiences everywhere, including Pakistan. Even though cricket might be known as the most played sport in Pakistan, people’s love for football is no less. There are about 3.4 million registered footballers in Pakistan, including men and women, as quoted by the former English footballer Michael Owen. The fact that this figure does not include the street footballers, who are seen playing in grounds in almost every nook and corner of the country, highlights the significance of this sport in Pakistan. More particularly, Karachi’s Lyari is popular for its fondness for the game and has played a praise-worthy role in the game’s development. Similarly, the young men and women football enthusiasts in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan also remain actively engaged in the sport.
A Brief Look At Pakistan’s Football Conundrum
Despite being one of the most played and watched sports in Pakistan, alongside cricket, football has remained immensely problematic. Pakistan has failed to produce world-class footballers and has never been able to make it to the top spots in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rankings. As per the latest rankings by FIFA, Pakistan’s men’s football team stands at 198th rank, out of 210 positions, which showcases the sport’s unfortunate state of affairs. Moreover, Pakistan has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, and the team missed out on yet another opportunity after getting knocked out in the World Cup qualifiers played last year, despite winning their first-ever match in a qualifying round.
Unlike field hockey, which saw its glorious era in Pakistan, football has been struggling to pave its way since Pakistan debuted in the year 1950. The question has always remained the same: how and when will the sport thrive in Pakistan, and what exactly is the problem at its root? Perhaps the answer to the second question is quite evident and everyone is aware of it, yet the authorities continue to neglect one of the most popular sports and keep their emphasis on hyping up cricket more than needed. Like other struggling sports, football is also a victim of politicisation and bureaucratic meddling.
Understanding The Structural Dynamics Of Football In Pakistan
Unlike cricket, which is governed by an autonomous body, the Pakistan Cricket Board, football falls under the dual jurisdiction of the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Football Federation. The former organisation oversees all sports except cricket, and the latter was established to govern football separately. However, both these governing institutions have been at odds with each other due to the internal politics of those who want to exercise control over them. Ultimately, this has reaped nothing except barring football’s prosperity in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Sports Board and Football Federation have been run by individuals, mostly from bureaucratic backgrounds, who have had no connection to the game’s roots whatsoever. The government’s negligence and lack of practical interference in this matter continue to persist, degrading the sport to a further low. Nevertheless, a little glimmer of hope emerged when FIFA decided to interfere and address the issues in Pakistan’s football body through the “normalisation process.” It has been overseen by a committee appointed by FIFA since 2019. The committee’s mandate comprises various provisions, including managing the PFF and organising its elections.
What Is Actually Going On?
That hope did not seem to last as FIFA suspended the Pakistan Football Federation on account of PFF’s failure to accept the constitutional amendments proposed by the global football governing body as well as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). To understand the context, it is important to know that the PFF consists of its own electoral process, a congress comprising 25 members, and its own constitution. FIFA and AFC had demanded a series of amendments to the PFF’s constitution in order to ensure a fair and democratic electoral process in Pakistan’s football body, which also included widening the eligibility criteria for potential candidates to run in the election.
PFF’s congress rejected the constitutional amendments with an overpowering majority of 19 out of 25 members, leading to FIFA’s latest action against the former. As a consequence, the Normalisation Committee announced that Pakistan would be banned from any international participation, electoral processes, and other activities until the PFF’s elected congress adopts the amendments. This has been the third ban on Pakistani football since 2017, diminishing any signs of optimism. However, as per the latest development, FIFA and PFF have reached a consensus, and the latter has accepted the proposed amendments. As a result, FIFA has lifted the ban, which can be called an optimistic development for the game.
The Way Forward For Pakistan’s Football
In all, the Pakistani authorities really need to wake up from their oblivion about the condition of sports, especially football, which is proving to be a threat to the future of millions of potential footballers. It is highly critical for Pakistani football to mend its ways and carry out a complete overhaul of the system to secure its spot in the world of football.