Pakistan women’s football team’s head coach Adeel Rizki will continue to serve in the role after receiving confirmation about his qualification.
Rizki took charge of the first game of Pakistan’s 2024 Paris Olympics Qualifier in Tajikistan against Thailand, which his side went on to lose 4-0. But his presence in the dugout confirmed that he is set to stay on as the national side’s coach despite objections surrounding his qualifications.
He possesses a UEFA B-License whereas the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) guidelines call for a Pro-License holder to be the only person qualified for a head coaching role.
Rizki’s saving grace is that AFC is unsure whether the same rule applies during Olympic Qualifiers. The haziness means that he will continue to lead the team until at least the qualifiers are completed.
Pakistan has two games left in the tournament against Hong Kong on the 8th of April and against Tajikistan on the 11th of April.
The national team currently sits bottom of Group E.
The news of his appointment in 2022 for the SAFF games did not sit well with local coaches with many prominent names calling his appointment a case of nepotism. Adeel Rizki allegedly has ties with Haroon Malik, the Chairman of the PFF’s Normalisation Committee.
Those voices have only grown louder since this news.
Regardless of the furore, Rizki will coach Pakistan when they take on Hong Kong tomorrow.
