Since being appointed the head coach of the Pakistan football team, Stephen Constantine has stressed the need for Pakistan to conduct its domestic football league. The last time the Pakistan Premier League was conducted was back in 2019. Since then, there has been no recognized domestic league for local players. Unwanted FIFA bans and internal administrative issues have been largely responsible for this loss. Time and time again Constantine has been observed pointing out this flaw in Pakistan’s football domestic structure in different press conferences and interviews.
This time, while giving an interview to a local news channel, Constantine went one step further and outlined the format for a future domestic football league in the country.
What idea did Stephen Constantine propose?
Stephen Constantine has proposed that Pakistan should keep things simple and focus on quality rather than quantity. He stated that the league should begin with just 12 clubs rather than having full-fledged 20 teams as in most of the top European leagues. The 12 teams would play each other twice, both home and away.
He further stated that after each team has played 22 matches each, the 12 teams will be divided into two groups. The top six sides will enter the Championship Round where each side will play a total of 10 matches (home and away). Whereas the bottom six sides would enter the Relegation Round where they will also face each other twice (home and away).
This way each side will play 32 games per season which would allow the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to nominate top clubs from the league for various AFC club-based competitions. Furthermore, Stephen insisted that each club should have an Under-19 and Under-17 team as well to nurture raw talent.
Lastly, he also suggested that the league should be played without any foreign players for the first three seasons at least. He said that this would give the local players ample opportunities to showcase their talent.
Why is a domestic football league vital for Pakistan’s football team?
A stable and competitive domestic league in football is vital if the country wishes to perform well at the international level. Unlike cricket players, football players spend the majority of their time playing club football and only play for their countries at the end of the season or during the designated international breaks, where club football is halted for two weeks and players get to represent their countries.
So, much of their skill development occurs at their respective clubs and when they get the chance to play for their country, they simply utilize the skills acquired while playing club football. This explains why the Pakistan football team has struggled so much at the international level recently.
A stable domestic league allows the local players to train and play weekly which is vital for the growth of any football player. No matter how great a footballer you are, if you don’t train or play regularly you are bound to lose your fitness and rhythm. This is exactly what the local Pakistan football players had to endure over the last couple of years.
For instance, after the victory against Cambodia in November 2023, the local players hardly played any competitive football till March 2023 due to the absence of the Pakistan Premier League. Hence, they were thrashed 1-6 by Tajikistan despite having the home advantage.
The Pakistan Premier League must be reinstated as soon as possible so that our local players will have ample playing opportunities. This will allow them to polish their skills so that when they wear that green jersey at the international level, they can show some fight and resilience.
What was the last season of the Pakistan Premier League like?
The last active season for the Pakistan Premier League was the 2018-2019 season. 16 teams featured in the tournament with Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) being crowned the champions on goal difference after they finished level on points with Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Both teams finished on 51 points with KRL having a +28 goal difference whereas PAF had a +27 goal difference.
Karachi Port Trust and Baloch Nushki finished bottom of the table and were relegated from the Pakistan Premier League. They were also joined by Ashraf Sugar Mills and Pakistan Airlines who withdrew due to financial constraints. Ansar Abbas from the Pakistan Army finished as the top goal scorer with 15 goals to his name.
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