The man pictured on the right is Muhammad Essa. Most of you may not know him, but those that do know very well what this man can do with the ball at his feet. The diminutive forward is captain of the national team, the highest paid footballer in the country at approximately Rs50,000 a month, and arguably the most talented footballer Pakistan has to offer; having led his side to two golds in two years at the South Asian Games. Believe it or not, Essa is not the only talented player in the country.So then what exactly is wrong with Pakistani football? The answer is a horrifically weak domestic football infrastructure. The Pakistan Premier League is made up entirely of departmental teams of both public and private sector organisations; with the best club teams being WAPDA, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, and KRL. The teams are forced to play in severely congested fixture lists, leaving very little time for players to rest; something considered very dangerous in sports, especially for players who receive very little in the way of stamina training and conditioning (another major problem). Both the league and youth structures contribute little towards skill development and physical training, with most of Pakistans best players relying entirely on raw talent.
These are all areas where investment is needed, though much of the funds allocated to the Pakistan Football Federation are pocketed by politicians.
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