Lahore and Karachi to Host Pakistan-Palestine Football Series

LAHORE: The Palestine team will arrive in Lahore on 27th February 2011 to take part in a four match bi-lateral series between Pakistan and Palestine, a PFF official said.

The first match of the series will be played on March 1 at Punjab Stadium, Lahore.

Karachi will host the second football on March 4, 2011 at People’s Stadium in Lyari. It will be after a five year’s gap that Karachi will be hosting an international football match after Pakistan and UAE’s 14th Asian Cup Qualifier clash in March 2006.

The Palestine team, led by goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh of Al-Merreikh FC, will tour Pakistan for the first time in their history in the last week of February to play two matches against the hosts on March 1st in Lahore and on March 4th in Karachi.

Pakistan will make a return visit to Palestine in April-May. The series was finalized after the Presidents of both the country’s football associations met and agreed to give their teams training for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup, World Cup and Olympic Qualifiers and the SAFF/WAFF Championship.

The March 1st clash in Lahore will be the third meeting between the two teams in football history.

Ibrahim Munasarah and Mohammed Al-Jeish scored in the first ever clash between Palestine and Pakistan, which was in the 12th Asian Cup qualifiers.

In their second meeting in 2006, Palestine were 3-0 winners when Pakistan was in Manama, Bahrain for the 14th Asian Cup qualifier preparations.

Meanwhile, football lovers have termed the Palestine’s teams visit a landmark in the history of Pakistan football