ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Wednesday that visa issues facing Afghanistan’s national football team have been resolved, clearing the way for the side to travel to Islamabad for Thursday’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier at Jinnah Stadium.
Uncertainty had surrounded the match after reports emerged that Afghan players were unable to secure visas in time.
On Tuesday, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Mohsen Gilani said Afghanistan’s federation had failed to ensure the presence of its full squad at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul for biometric verification, as several players were based outside the country.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), meanwhile, had claimed that it sent the initial list of players to the embassy on September 18 and that “despite repeated follow-ups and official contacts, visas have not been issued to the players and officials,” according to Afghan Voice Agency.
On Wednesday, Minister Naqvi confirmed via social media that the issue had been settled. Responding to a journalist’s post about the matter, he wrote: “Issued now. Thank you for highlighting it.”
Reports from Afghanistan noted that the squad had gathered in Dubai on Tuesday evening, awaiting visa clearance. With the matter now resolved, the team is set to arrive in Islamabad in time for the qualifier.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are still searching for their first points in Group E after defeats to Syria and Myanmar in their opening matches. The two sides will meet again in a return fixture in Al Ardiya, Kuwait, on October 14.
The winner of the group will secure qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, to be held in Saudi Arabia.
