India-Pakistan bilateral football series to be held after nine years

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has reportedly succeeded in finalising a two-match bilateral football series against India after a gap of nine years and it is scheduled to be held in August.

The Pakistan football team would visit India from August 16 to 21 and play matches on August 17 and 20.

PFF's Secretary Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi said that the series would prove to be a landmark in the sports relations of the two countries, The Dawn reported.

Lodhi said that Pakistan and India last played a three-match series in June 2005, which the visitors won on goal-average.

In 2011 an English company had reportedly planned a football series between Pakistan and India in England but it was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to failure in getting sponsorship.

A triangular series to be held in 2013 in England, involving India, Pakistan and Bangladesh was cancelled because of the same problem.

Lodhi said that the series was being held after nine years, which showed that India too was eager to play against Pakistan for the betterment of game.

Lodhi added that Pakistan would also be playing a series against Bahrain from August 22 to 30 there, which shows that the PFF is doing its best for the game and to give exposure to the players.