Pakistan’s two SAFF Championship outings thus far have laid bare the harsh realities. The identical 4-0 thrashings from hosts India and Kuwait have not only ended its tournament prematurely but also revealed how far it is from even mid-level Asian football.
Two young men, however, want to change that – the England-born duo of Easah Suliman and Otis Khan, both of whom secured clearances in May to play for the country of their grandparents and are in India for their first FIFA-recognised tournament. For Pakistan, which has been twice suspended by FIFA in the last six years and doesn’t have a robust domestic football structure, they are a breath of fresh air.
Suliman, a product of the Aston Villa academy, was the first player of Asian heritage to captain an English football team, leading the national side at the U-16, U-17 and U-19 levels. The 25-year-old won the U-19 Euros (2017), playing alongside the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Reece James and Mason Mount, all top-draw Premier League players currently.
