Former Pakistan football team coach Jose Nogueira appointed as Afghanistan coach
By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Pakistan’s former Brazilian coach Jose Antonio Nogueira has joined Afghanistan football team as head coach.
He is in Kabul and is testing the players for picking the top lot for future national duty.
“Yes, I have joined Afghanistan as a head coach and I am checking the players. Next month foreign-based players will also be called,’ Nogueira told thecricketplus.com from Kabul.
A few hours ago, Nogueira announced through a social media post his appointment as a head coach of Afghanistan team.
“Today is a special day, I am starting a new chapter in my career: I am taking over technical command of the Afghanistan national team,” Nogueira wrote.
“It’s an honor and a huge challenge but I am ready for this moment. With my experience with teams like Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, San Cristo and Nevis in addition to clubs like Emelec, LDU, Al-Ahli and Nagoya GU Club, I am confident I can make a difference here.
I am here to strengthen the national team and make Afghanistan proud. Let’s work together to achieve our goals.”
“I take this opportunity to thank the National Athletic Club where I was working as a technician until January this year,” he wrote.
Afghanistan are ranked 162 in the world and it has the potential to grow under Nogueira who has rendered meritorious services during his Pakistan’s duty a few years ago until his stint was hit hard by the uncertainty of Pakistan football which has suffered massively during recent years because of internal conflict and legal wrangling.
Nogueira said that Kabul is rebuilding, adding, he is yet to get time to go out and see the historic city of Afghanistan.
Under Nogueira Pakistan returned to international football after three years of isolation when they featured in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Immediately after that Pakistan visited Dhaka where they finished third in the SAFF Championship. Pakistan had last ended third in the same event in 1997. Under Nogueira, Pakistan also visited Bahrain for training before the Asiad. Pakistan then toured Palestine where the Green-shirts lost to the hosts 2-1 in international friendly held on November 17, the FIFA day, at Al-Ram. On Qatar’s tour Pakistan played against Palestine, Qatar Army national team and Afghanistan Under-23 team. Pakistan lost to strong Palestine 2-0, Pakistan Under-23 went down to Qatar Army national team 3-1 and Pakistan Under-23 team held Afghanistan Under-23 to a 1-1 draw in their last outing of the two-week tour in those days.
Nogueira is a fine person having spent a very good time in Pakistan as a coach and now he is on another mission to train Afghans who are more talented and have the guts to rise in international circuit.
