Roberts to coach Pakistan

Pakistan’s football chiefs have turned to former Tottenham Hotspur defender Graham Roberts in a bid to make a mark at next month’s Asian Games in China.

The former England international, who won two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup with Spurs in the 1980s, will land in Pakistan within a week.

Roberts has signed an initial two-month deal with Pakistan as a coaching consultant, the secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi said.

“His contract is being financed by sponsors as the PFF does not have that many funds,” Lodhi said.

“It is great to have a high profile personality working with our players and hopefully it will be good for our team,” he added.

The PFF official said that Roberts would work with the national team and prepare them for the Asian Games in Guangzhou.

“If we can have a good working relationship with him and he is also happy we would look at extending the contract with him,” Lodhi said.

Pakistan has in the past appointed coaches from abroad and had Austrian George Kotten working with the national team until Feb. this year.

Presently they have former Pakistani international Akhtar Mohiyuddin as head coach.

Pakistan are currently placed 162nd in the FIFA working rankings.

The sport’s world governing body has announced a number of projects in Pakistan in a bid to help develop the sport further in a country where the main passion remains cricket.

Reuters