AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: Visa issue puts Pakistan's home fixture against Afghanistan in limbo

KARACHI: Pakistan football team’s home fixture against Afghanistan in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, scheduled for October 9 in Islamabad, appears increasingly unlikely to go ahead as planned, with visa problems preventing the full Afghan squad from travelling, resulting in both – Afghanistan and Pakistan – football federations approaching the AFC with their grievances.

The Afghanistan Football Federation now wants the AFC to shift the game to a neutral venue, while PFF wants the match to be called off and a walkover to be awarded to Pakistan.

According to sources, as of Tuesday evening, several Afghan players had yet to receive Pakistani visas. Sources told Geo News that only 10 players and three officials were issued visas last week after completing biometric verification at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul, while the majority of the team, based outside Afghanistan, remain without clearance.

The issue, according to sources, is caused by administrative lapses by the Afghanistan Football Federation, which submitted visa applications late on September 27, just 11 days before the scheduled match.

Under AFC competition regulations, teams must apply for host country visas at least 30 days in advance. Pakistan’s football authorities received the visa reference number on October 2, after which they immediately alerted government departments.

Not only the visa applications were submitted late, but the information about players' interviews and biometric locations on the applications were also incorrect, according to sources.

PFF sources say the process could have been managed despite the delay, but what created the problem was that the visa applications were mentioning Afghanistan as the biometric location for all players, including those residing abroad. As a result, only players who completed their biometrics in Kabul were issued visas.

Both football federations have now taken the matter to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), presenting opposing positions. The Afghanistan Football Federation has requested that the match be shifted to a neutral venue, while the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) insists that the visa complications are due to Afghanistan’s fault and has called for a walkover in Pakistan’s favour if the match cannot proceed.

The PFF has argued that moving the fixture to a neutral venue would impose unnecessary financial and logistical burdens on Pakistan, emphasising that the host nation has met all its obligations.

Sources within the AFC said the governing body is reviewing the situation and could consider either rescheduling the match to a future international window or awarding a walkover, depending on the final assessment of responsibility.

The decision now rests with the AFC Competitions Committee.