Newcastle cult hero 'Nobby' Solano appointed Pakistan coach / Photo: GLENN CAMPBELL - AFP
-
Landslides and floods kill 63 in Nepal, India
-
No handshakes again as India, Pakistan meet at Women's World Cup
-
Georgia PM announces sweeping crackdown on opposition after 'foiled coup'
-
Syria selects members of first post-Assad parliament
-
Russian strikes kill five in Ukraine, cause power outages
-
World champion Marquez crashes out as Aldeguer wins Indonesia MotoGP.
-
World champion Marquez crashes out of Indonesia MotoGP
-
Babis to meet Czech president after party tops parliamentary vote
-
Death toll from Indonesia school collapse rises to 37
-
OPEC+ meets with future oil production hanging in the balance
-
Dodgers down Phillies on Hernandez homer in MLB playoff series opener
-
Philadelphia down NYCFC to clinch MLS Supporters Shield
-
Syria selects members of first post-Assad parliament in contested process
-
Americans, Canadians unite in battling 'eating machine' carp
-
Negotiators due in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire, hostage release talks
-
Trump authorizes troops to Chicago as judge blocks Portland deployment
-
Wallabies left ruing missed chances ahead of European tour
-
Higgo stretches PGA Tour lead in Mississippi
-
Trump Marijuana Schedule I to Science: How MMJ International Holdings Is Defining the New Era of FDA Cannabis Medicine
-
Blue Jays pummel Yankees 10-1 in MLB playoff series opener
-
Georgia ruling party wins local polls as mass protests flare
-
Depoortere stakes France claim as Bordeaux-Begles stumble past Lyon
-
Vinicius double helps Real Madrid beat Villarreal
-
New museum examines family life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo
-
Piccioli sets new Balenciaga beat, with support from Meghan Markle
-
Lammens must be ready for 'massive' Man Utd scrutiny, says Amorim
-
Arteta 'not positive' after Odegaard sets unwanted injury record
-
Slot struggles to solve Liverpool problems after third successive loss
-
Netanyahu hopes to bring Gaza hostages home within days as negotiators head to Cairo
-
Ex-NFL QB Sanchez in hospital after reported stabbing
-
Liverpool lose again at Chelsea, Arsenal go top of Premier League
-
Liverpool suffer third successive loss as Estevao strikes late for Chelsea
-
Diaz dazzles early and Kane strikes again as Bayern beat Frankfurt
-
De Zerbi living his best life as Marseille go top of Ligue 1
-
US envoys head to Mideast as Trump warns Hamas against peace deal delay
-
In-form Inter sweep past Cremonese to join Serie A leaders
-
Kolisi hopes Rugby Championship success makes South Africa 'walk tall' again
-
Ex-All Black Nonu rolls back the years again as Toulon cruise past Pau
-
Hundreds of thousands turn out at pro-Palestinian marches in Europe
-
Vollering powers to European women's road race title
-
Struggling McLaren hit bump in the road on Singapore streets
-
'We were treated like animals', deported Gaza flotilla activists say
-
Trump envoys head to Egypt as Hamas agrees to free Gaza hostages
-
Czech billionaire ex-PM's party tops parliamentary vote
-
Trump enovys head to Egypt as Hamas agrees to free hostages
-
Arsenal go top of Premier League as Man Utd ease pressure on Amorim
-
Thousands attend banned Pride march in Hungarian city Pecs
-
Consent gives Morris and Prescott another memorable Arc weekend
-
Georgian police fire tear gas as protesters try to enter presidential palace
-
Vollering powers to European road race title
NYSE - LSE
Newcastle cult hero 'Nobby' Solano appointed Pakistan coach
Pakistan's embattled football federation has appointed former Newcastle United cult hero Nolberto 'Nobby' Solano as coach of their national teams to try to improve their dreadful record of never qualifying for a major tournament.
Solano, 50, who also played for Aston Villa and West Ham United in the English Premier League before retiring in 2012, was an assistant coach for his country Peru when they qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
"We have hired the services of Solano with a hope that he will bring more energy and zest to the national players and lift our standings at the international level," the Pakistan Football Federation president, Mohsen Gilani, said in a statement.
The cricket-obsessed nation has reached the second round of Asian qualifying for the FIFA World Cup only once.
Pakistan are 201st of 210 teams the in FIFA world men's team rankings, and have sought to improve standards by inducting players of Pakistan heritage based in the UK.
Pakistan football has suffered badly from political parties fighting over control of the federation, which receives a large annual grant from world governing body FIFA.
The federation was for 10 years run by a FIFA-appointed committee and earlier this year briefly suspended for political interference ahead of elections in May.
FIFA in 2021 banned Pakistan from playing international matches for 15 months, also for political interference in the federation.
Solano's first task will be with the under-23s men's team, who are due to face Cambodia, Iraq and Oman in September in qualifying for the U23 Asian Cup next year.
Solano's first matches in charge of the senior team will be a double-header against Afghanistan in 2027 Asian Cup qualifying in October.
Pakistan kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 away defeat to Syria in March and a 1-0 loss to Myanmar in Yangon last month.
A.Mahlangu--AMWN