Pakistan Football back on track as FIFA lifts suspension on PFF ahead of AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers

This was the third time PFF was banned by FIFA recently.

The football governing body, FIFA, has lifted the ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). The organization faced suspension for failing to adopt the necessary constitutional amendments required for fair and democratic elections.

The PFF announced the development on social media, stating, “The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has confirmed the participation of the Pakistan men’s national team in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.”

After the suspension was lifted, the national team can now participate in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. The team is in Group E alongside Syria, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, and its first match is scheduled for the 25th of March against Syria.

Why did FIFA suspend the Pakistan Football Federation?

On the 6th of February, 2025, FIFA announced the suspension of Pakistan Football Federation. “The PFF has been suspended with immediate effect due to its failure to adopt a revision of the PFF Constitution that would ensure truly fair and democratic elections and thereby fulfill its obligations as mandated by FIFA as part of the ongoing normalization process of PFF,” stated FIFA.

FIFA clarified that the suspension would only be lifted if the federation approved the version of the Pakistan Football Federation Constitution presented by FIFA and the AFC.

A series of suspensions

The Pakistan Football Federation has been suspended on several occasions since 2017. In 2021, the Federation was suspended due to undue third-party interference. The 2021 suspension was lifted in June 2022 after FIFA’s Normalization Committee regained control over the federation’s operations.

The national team’s run

Pakistan’s men’s football team made history by advancing to the second round of the World Cup qualifiers after beating Cambodia 1-0 in Islamabad. However, in the second round, the national team was placed in Group G and failed to win a single match.

The team scored only one goal against Tajikistan in their campaign and conceded 26 goals against Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan.

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