As the pulsating year of 2025 comes to a close, it has marked another frustrating period for Pakistan in Hockey and football, despite some major positives – an 11th-hour invitation to the men’s hockey team for the FIH Pro League and the inclusion of the women’s football side in the FIFA series.
Year of missed opportunities, off-field hurdles and fleeting highs for Pakistan Hockey
It was a relatively quiet year for the country in the national sport as its national men’s senior and junior teams could participate in one tournament apiece, while withdrawing from the Asia Cup and the Junior World Cup in India due to the strained relationship with the neighbouring country.
Dismal start to year – Azlan Shah Hockey Cup snub
Pakistan Hockey suffered a major setback in March this year when they were left out of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup 2025, despite finishing as runners-up in the previous edition.
The prestigious tournament featured teams from Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, and hosts Malaysia, while also leaving out defending champions Japan.
FIH Nations Cup: Yet another near-miss for Pakistan Hockey
The Green Shirts eventually kick-started their calendar year with the FIH Nations Cup, hosted by Malaysia in June, and finished as runners-up.
Placed in Pool A, Pakistan registered victories over Malaysia and Japan, while suffering a narrow 4-3 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their last group-stage fixture.
Despite the defeat against New Zealand, Pakistan still managed to advance into the Final Four and subsequently faced France in the semi-final and won the enthralling contest on penalties 3-2, courtesy of goalkeeper Muneeb Ur-Rehman’s brilliance.
Pakistan, fuelled with momentum, locked horns with New Zealand in the final, but they were completely outclassed by the Blackcaps in the summit clash, suffering a gruelling 6-2 defeat.
FIH Pro League invitation despite Nations Cup heartbreak
As per the International Hockey Federation (FIH) qualification criteria, the winning team of the Nations Cup was to be invited to participate in its Pro League, but it was instead awarded to Pakistan, who finished as the runners-up, as New Zealand withdrew from the tournament due to financial constraints.
The Green Shirts have already started their Pro League campaign, but it has been underwhelming as they suffered crushing defeats in both legs of their matches against Argentina and the Netherlands.
Withdrawal from India-hosted Asia Cup
Following the Nations Cup, Pakistan men’s hockey team was originally scheduled to participate in the Asia Cup, hosted by India from August 27 to September 7, but the PHF did not receive clearance from the federal government to send its national men’s team across the border.
The Green Shirts eventually withdrew from the tournament and were subsequently replaced by Bangladesh, while India clinched the title.
Frustration among national players over unpaid dues
While the national players delivered spirited performances in the Nations Cup, they remained deprived of their multiple allowances, which nearly led to a team-level rebellion.
The prolonged financial uncertainty even pushed some players to explore alternative opportunities, including overseas leagues and tournaments, until the PHF claimed clearing all of the outstanding dues in October.
One step closer to World Cup participation
Pakistan eventually found an achievement to cherish in November as they booked their spot in the Belgium-hosted World Cup Qualifiers, set to be played in February next year, by whitewashing Bangladesh 3-0 in an away series.
The visitors crushed Bangladesh in the series opener with the scoreline of 8-2, while registering equally thumping victories, 8-0 and 10-3, in the subsequent fixtures, respectively, to consolidate their dominance.
Juniors fall short at Sultan of Johor Cup
In their sole appearance in the outgoing year, the Pakistan men’s junior hockey team participated in the Sultan of Johor Cup in October.
The six-team tournament marked a forgetful outing for the junior side as they finished fourth, managing to clinch only one victory in the campaign opener against Malaysia, while suffering defeats at the hands of Great Britain and New Zealand.
Pakistan then faced Great Britain in the third-fourth place playoff and suffered a 3-2 loss.
U18 boys hint at bright future with Asia Cup silver
In July, Pakistan U18 men’s hockey team participated in the Asia Cup and delivered dominant performances throughout the 10-team event until hitting the final roadblock.
The Green Shirts made a flamboyant start to their campaign with a crushing 8-0 win over Hong Kong China 8-0 and eventually stormed into the final unbeaten, courtesy of victories over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China and a penalty shootout triumph over Malaysia in the semi-final.
The Boys in Green, however, were outclassed by Japan 3-0 in the summit clash and thus fell short of clinching the coveted title.
Administrative turmoil hinders Pakistan’s football progress
Similar to the national sport, Pakistan had a quiet year in football on the field; however, there were plenty of developments off it, including the suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), lifting of the ban and eventually a cherishing development – maiden inclusion of the women’s team into the FIFA series.
Meanwhile, the national men’s, women’s and U17 boys’ teams all had unsuccessful campaigns at the Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Rocky start to year
The apex football governing body, in February, imposed an immediate ban on the PFF after the latter’s congress refused the amendments proposed by FIFA to its constitution.
According to an announcement by FIFA, the PFF was suspended with immediate effect due to its failure to adopt a revision of the PFF Constitution that would ensure truly fair and democratic elections.
FIFA lifts suspension within month
The suspension this year did not last a month as PFF approved FIFA’s proposed constitutional amendments in an Extraordinary Congress, held in Lahore in late February.
The lifting of the ban also paved the way for the national football teams to participate in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Mohsen Gilani elected new PFF President
The PFF, in May, held its first election after six years, which saw former FIFA Development Officer Mohsen Gilani becoming its president with a decisive majority, securing 13 votes, while his closest rival could receive 11.
The election marked a significant milestone for PFF as it had been under the control of a FIFA-imposed Normalisation Committee since 2019, following years of turmoil.
Men’s team remains winless in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers
Just days after the lifting of the suspension, Pakistan men’s team started their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign against Syria and suffered a gruelling 2-0 defeat.
The Green Shirts remained winless throughout the event, losing to Syria in the second leg as well, while their best performance was draws against Afghanistan in both legs, played in October.
Historic defeat to Pakistan women’s team
In June, the Pakistan women’s team partook in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers and their heaviest defeat ever, an 8-0 hammering at the hands of Chinese Taipei in the campaign opener, eventually barred them from advancing into the continental tournament.
Besides the campaign opener, the national women’s team delivered a spirited performance and clinched their first victory since September 2023 by inflicting a 2-0 defeat on Indonesia.
The Green Shirts capped off their campaign triumphantly with a 2-1 victory over Kyrgyzstan and finished second in Group D.
U17 boys glimmer ray of hope
Setbacks chased the Pakistan U17 men’s football team too, as it participated in the SAFF Championship in September, followed by the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in November-December.
Pakistan made early inroads in the SAFF Championship as they beat Bhutan and Maldives to book their spot in the semi-final, while suffering defeats at the hands of arch-rivals India in the final group-stage fixture and against Bangladesh in the semi-final.
The AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers followed the same pattern as Pakistan showcased their potential by clinching three victories, which came against Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan and Guam, but defeats against Laos and Yemen prevented them from advancing into the continental tournament.
Maiden inclusion into FIFA series ends year on high note
After all the setbacks, close calls and administrative turmoil, Pakistan football eventually got a cherishing update in December as their women’s football was included in the FIFA series for the first time.
The inclusion hints at a new era of the national women’s team and would help them gain international exposure beyond Asia, as it will be played in Brazil, Ivory Coast and Thailand in March-April next year.
Key Takeaways
Although this year ended in disappointment for Pakistan in the two sports, the nation can surely achieve its lost glory in hockey and can amass new heights in football.
There were some coinciding factors behind the nation’s below-par performances in both disciplines, which were a lack of recognition and governmental support, whether it was the pending salaries of the national hockey team players or the administrative turmoil in football.
Thus, the federal government’s adequate measures in revitalising Pakistan’s stature in sports may enable the country to make a name for itself in the international arena, as it possesses enough talent.
Syed Ahsan Ali Jaffri is a staffer at Geo Super.
