Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has included six overseas-based female footballers in the national camp to strengthen the team. This is part of preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers starting soon. These players are joining the Pakistan women’s squad for the first time.
The newly added players are Marsha Malik, Laila Banaras, Ziana Givraj, Azwa Chaudhry, Maryam Mahmood, and Aqsa Mushtaq. PFF has prepared a provisional list to finalize the squad before the camp begins.
Laila Banaras represents Birmingham City in England, and Maryam Mahmood plays for West Bromwich Albion. Aqsa Mushtaq plays in Greece for club OFI, while goalkeeper Ziana Givraj competes in the US and has also played in Portugal’s top women’s league.
Marsha Malik plays for Solihull Moors in the UK, and Azwa Chaudhry is part of West Ham’s youth setup. The national team camp will start on June 19 in Islamabad to prepare intensively for the tournament.
Pakistan’s schedule in the AFC qualifiers includes matches against Chinese Taipei on June 29, Indonesia on July 2, and Kyrgyzstan on July 5. With the inclusion of these overseas talents, Pakistan aims to improve its performance and compete strongly.