Lutfi gets one year assignment as National football coach

LAHORE: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Faisal Saleh Hayat has appointed former national men team coach Tariq Lutfi (PIA) as Coach of the National football team for one year on Saturday.His first assignment in 2011 will be Qualifying Round of 2012 Summer Olympic Games, scheduled to take place in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. His last spell for Pakistan men was Pak-India Series six years ago.Pakistan have been pitted against Malaysia in the Qualifiers with the first leg to be played in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 23 and the return leg in Pakistan on March 9, 2011.Having coaching Qualification through Bisham Abbey, Zbigiew Szumuski, Tomi Salave Ivic, B.Trautman, Holger Osiek, Burkhard Ziese, Terry Cassie Dittmer Cramer, Lutfi attended several FIFA and Olympic Courses. He represented Top Division Team PIA from 1976-1985, which is a record nine Time National Champion team, Lutfi was also coach when in 2006, Jordan Football Association (JFA) hosted third  Amman international Women Futsal Championship at Jordanian capital of Amman.Lutfi took over charge of National Men team for the first time in 1985 when A.H. Shahzad-led team toured Dhaka for 2nd SAF Games Dhaka. His coaching skills were brilliant when he created record by winning all three league matches during 5th SAFF championship at Dhaka 2003.  His other noticeable coaching assignments were 4th Quaid-i-Azam event, 10th Asian Games at Seoul 1986, 15th World Cup QR, Ist SAFF Championship 1993, 13th Asian Cup, 18th World Cup QR 2003 and Islamic Games, Indo-Pak Series 2005. He was also coach of Pakistan in 26th Asian YU19 Championship 1988 at Bahrain – AAP