Islamabad, Oct 5: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has announced the preliminary squad for the SAFF Women’s Championship 2024, which will take place in Nepal from October 17 to 30. The team is currently in a training camp in Islamabad, preparing for the competition.
Squad Overview:
- Goalkeepers: Nisha Ashraf, Mafia Parveen, Rumaysa Khan
- Defenders: Kayla Siddiqi, Mishal Bhatti, Sarah Khan, Nizalia Siddiqi, Sophia Qureshi, Fatima Nasir, Mehreen Khan, Khadija Wali
- Midfielders: Suha Hirani, Maria Khan, Sanah Mehdi, Amina Hanif, Rameen Fareed, Kayanat Bokhari
- Forwards: Nadia Khan, Zahmena Malik, Isra Khan, Anmol Hira, Anushey Usman, Aliya Sadiq, Eman Mustafa
The team will be competing in Group A alongside former champions India and reigning titleholders Bangladesh. Pakistan’s first match will be against India on October 17, followed by a group-stage game against Bangladesh on October 20.
Key player Nadia Khan returns to the squad after recovering from a knee injury, but Zulfiya Nazir will miss the tournament for personal reasons, and Aliza Sabir is unavailable due to exams.
This tournament marks Pakistan’s first international competition since September 2023, following their participation in a four-team friendly tournament in Saudi Arabia.