Pakistan has revealed its 14-member squad for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers 2025, set to be held in Saudi Arabia from October 18 to 22, marking its historic debut.
Pakistan Gears Up for Historic Debut
Pakistan has officially announced its 14-member squad for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers, which will take place in Saudi Arabia from October 18 to 22, 2025. This marks Pakistan’s first-ever appearance in the prestigious continental competition. The Green Shirts have been drawn into Group D alongside Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Chinese Taipei. The group winner will earn direct qualification to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2025.
Challenging Group Awaits Pakistan
Facing strong opponents such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan enters the tournament as underdogs but with a determined mindset. The team was initially scheduled to compete last month, but the event was postponed by Saudi Arabia due to unforeseen logistical reasons. Despite the delay, Pakistan’s players have continued rigorous training to ensure readiness ahead of the new schedule.
Official Pakistan Squad for the Qualifiers
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed the following 14 players as part of the national futsal squad:
• Muhammad Ali Khan
• Zohair Altaf
• Muhammad Bin Masud
• Yousaf Ahmad
• Hamza Nusrat
• Asif Ahmad Chaudhry
• Moeez Sajjad
• Shams Taj
• Zaid Ullah Khan
• Ariz Mahmood
• Muhammad Hassaan Zafar Khan
• Muhammad Tahir
• Muhammad Zaid
• Muhammad Adan Ashfaq
Preparations Under Limited Facilities
The national futsal team is training in Islamabad in difficult conditions, when all their training is divided between a private university and a basketball court because of the insufficient futsal facilities in the city. In spite of these limitations, the players have demonstrated noble efforts and cooperation in practices. Coaches have also emphasized on better coordination of players, fast passing and defensive transitions which are essential in the fast format of futsal.
PFF’s Vision to Promote Futsal in Pakistan
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers participation is considered an important milestone to the growth of futsal in the country as mentioned by the Pakistan Football Federation. The PFF would take advantage of this campaign to expose young players to international futsal and also to put more attention on indoor football among the population. Through this initiative, the officials believe that professional futsal leagues will be formed in Pakistan soon.
Teams Already Qualified for AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2025
Eight teams are already qualified to the main tournament, the host is Indonesia, and the other teams are Australia, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Kyrgyz Republic, Iran, and Afghanistan. These countries will be joined by the winner of the Group D which consists of Pakistan. In the meantime, Kuwait, Korea Republic, Tajikistan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Myanmar and the overall best performer of the Group D will fight over the remaining seven qualifying slots.
Pakistan’s Focus and Goals
The management and head coach have placed great importance on discipline, strategic tactic, and flexibility as the strategies that will see the team succeed. The morale of players is high even though they are still new at this kind of competition. The primary objective of the squad is to get a good experience, play in the pride of Pakistan, and show that futsal can become a popular sport in the country. The tournament will also start on October 18, and it is anticipated that the opening match of Pakistan will attract a lot of audience at home.
