Stephen Constantine named as head coach for Pakistan's national football team

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Saturday announced the appointment of Stephen Constantine as the new head coach for Pakistan in a bid to bolster its national football team's performance, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel.

The decision comes with the hope that Constantine's expertise will pave the way for victory in the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Cambodia next month.

Stephen Constantine, an esteemed FIFA instructor since 2000, carries a commendable reputation in South Asian football. He achieved remarkable success during his tenure with the Indian national team from 2015 to 2018, elevating them from 176th to 96th place in the international rankings.

 The PFF emphasized that Constantine's profound experience in top-tier football and his familiarity with the region make him well-suited to make an immediate impact on Pakistan's football landscape.

https://twitter.com/TheRealPFF/status/1708054913891086516

“Stephen has agreed to join PFF with a singular focus for now – to win qualifiers against Cambodia. The away and home-based leg between Pakistan and Cambodia will be played on the 12th and 17th of October in Cambodia and Pakistan, respectively.

“PFF would also like to thank and appreciate Shehzad Anwar, for the very hard and difficult task of resurrecting Pakistan men’s national team football in just one year. Without his hard work and passion, our team would not be ready to rise to the next level.”

Stephen Constantine is one of the most accomplished coaches in Asia. He coached the Nepal national team for two years before taking over the Indian football team.

The England-based coach led India to silver medal at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games in 2003 and then to the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship glory in 2016. Under his coaching stint, India also won the Intercontinental Cup in 2018. 

Stephen Constantine also coached notable football teams like Premier League’s AFC Bournemouth.