The remaining members of the Pakistan National Football Team have finally departed for Tajikistan after enduring a protracted logistical nightmare.
The squad faced significant delays after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight cancellation left half of the team stranded in Pakistan ahead of their last match group match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers round 2 on June 11.
It has been anything but a normal day for Pakistani football. Head Coach Stephen Constantine and a few players who managed to depart earlier are already in Dushanbe, preparing for the upcoming fixture against Tajikistan. The team’s preparation has been severely disrupted, impacting their training schedule and morale.
The flight cancellation caused a ripple effect, with the team’s travel plans thrown into disarray. Efforts to secure alternative arrangements were hindered by limited chartered flight availability and logistical constraints.
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However, with persistent efforts from the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and cooperation from the government authorities, the remaining squad members are now on course to join their teammates.
Previously, the PFF Normalisation Committee approached PIA for a chartered flight to take the team to Tajikistan after the flight was delayed twice before its cancellation.
According to multiple reports, all the PIA jets were booked already and consequently, the airlines refused to provide a plane to the team so that they could go on board.
On Sunday, the apex football Federation reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office for assistance in this matter while the NC also approached another airline.
It should be noted that there were no flights from Pakistan to Dushanbe which delayed the flight of the players further putting the national team in jeopardy as there were concerns that the team might not be able to even field eleven players on the pitch.
Pakistan will take on Tajikistan in their last game of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 2 which is scheduled for June 11 at Dushanbe Stadium.
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