Pakistan’s FIFA World Cup Qualifier may be played at neuteral venue
- Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad doesn’t meet FIFA standards.
- PFF searching for alternative neutral venue before January 21 deadline.
- Lighting issues during Ramazan clash with FIFA requirements.
Because the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has certified that Islamabad’s Jinnah Stadium does not meet FIFA criteria, football fans in Pakistan may not be able to watch Pakistan’s FIFA World Cup qualifier versus Jordan on home soil.
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, following the successful,” PFF stated.
“Regrettably, despite our best efforts, the current standard of Jinnah Stadium does not meet FIFA requirements,” it added.
The deadline for venue submission was January 21 and as we are committed to upholding the integrity of the game, we’ve decided to explore alternative options. We will be in contact with the Jordan Football Association to discuss the arrangement of a neutral venue for the home leg
— Pakistan Football Federation (@TheRealPFF) January 22, 2024
The PFF highlighted a significant challenge related to lighting conditions, stating, “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 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 added.
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.
Although Pakistan’s next home game against Jordan is set for March 21st, Pakistani football supporters are dissatisfied with this latest development.
