National soccer coach Tariq Lutfi has expressed optimism that Pakistani footballers will perform well against Thailand Olympic team in one-off test and Malaysia in the Olympics Qualifier. "Look at Slovakia who celebrated a first appearance in World Cup last year since they began playing as an independent nation in 1994. We should draw inspiration from them and put in our best efforts as our real fight will be against tough Malaysian outfit", he said.
"I am looking forward to playing Malaysia during two legged encounters on 23rd February and 9th March, 2011," he said, adding: "Coaching soccer is a complex task- it requires a lot of specific skills and knowledge," said Lutfi under whose managership, PIA had broken hoodoo of Wapda, Army, KRL who knotted top three berths in Pakistan Premier League from 2004-2009, with PIA snatching third spot in PPFL 2010.
Pakistan football team will undertake fifth visit of Thailand when they will play three warm up matches and U23 international friendly during two-week Camp from 6-20 February. The previous journeys of Pakistan were seen in 1981, 2001 and 2004 and 2009. It will be first-ever visit of Thailand for Tariq Lutfi (PIA) as Pakistani coach who earned one-year coaching assignment for National Team from Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)'s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on 15th January 2011. "The deal is for full 2011 but hopefully it will lead to a longer term agreement," said Tariq.
Tariq Lutfi was all excited about the trip where the players would first get fitness training and then get "organised" as a team in the country lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, bordered to the west by the Andaman Sea. "We'll do technical and tactical training and get to play few matches with some age-limit teams and local clubs. These are the best players of the country and in Thailand we'll get organised as a team," he said.
When asked about his choice of Thailand as a base, Lutfi said, "Unlike the Premier League clubs who usually look at the business angle of things, Thais are offering us something. They will help us with training facilities and of course, it's a beautiful country." He said: "The basic purpose of our tour to Thailand is to groom the players so that they could learn more things, could play on excellent pitches and in excellent environment. The more our players play there the more they will learn."