Stephen Constantine to continue as Pakistan head coach

• Stephen Constantine will continue to be the Pakistan football team’s head coach.
• Constantine led Pakistan to their first-ever World Cup qualifying round win.
• The next camp for the national team is scheduled to open in February 2024.

It is expected that Stephen Constantine will stay on as head coach of the Pakistani men’s national football team through March 2024.

Constantine’s name is already etched in Pakistani football history. Pakistan made history while he was their coach when they advanced to the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Since its debut in the 1990 World Cup Qualifiers, Pakistan has never advanced past the first round. On October 17, they defeated Cambodia 1-0 in Islamabad, just days after holding the same opponents to a goalless draw in the away leg in Cambodia on October 12.

In the second round, Pakistan was defeated 6-1 at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on November 21 after losing 4-0 to Saudi Arabia at Al-Ahsa on November 16.

In the four-team Group G, Jordan is the other team. The top two teams advance to the third round, while the bottom two teams compete in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Jordan will visit Pakistan on March 21 and Pakistan will visit Jordan on March 26. Pakistan is scheduled to host Saudi Arabia on June 6 and play Tajikistan in their backyard on June 11.

Whether Stephen will manage the Green Shirts against Jordan in the March window is the question.

According to a local news agency, Stephen has “indicated” that he will coach Pakistan as long as Haroon Malik, the head of the Normalization Committee, is in charge of the PFF’s operations.

According to sources, Haroon has asked Stephen to remain, and it’s possible that he may continue to serve Pakistan through the end of March.

Stephen only spent a month with the Pakistani team. Less than a week before the Green-shirts left for Cambodia for their away leg in the first round, he became command of the brigade. He spent two weeks with the side for the second round.

He appeared somewhat pleased with his brigade’s performance against Saudi Arabia at Al-Ahsa despite the intense rain, but he was furious about his soldiers’ poor performance versus Tajikistan at home.

He continued to say that a league was necessary to provide activities for the homegrown lads. And he had good reason. Pakistan’s domestic team lacks the Premier League, which would have kept the players occupied for months, therefore, they are a little raw and unprepared.

“No doubt he (Stephen) is a fine coach,” as per reports.

“He has done a good job for us and it was because of him that Pakistan team qualified for the second round and so are gaining the experience in the second round by facing tough oppositions like Saudi Arabia which have played six World Cups,” the source added.

The camp is scheduled to open in February of the following year.

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