Saqib Hanif is one of Pakistan’s best goalkeepers – Aslam

The coach has reiterated his faith in his protégé, whom he believes will play for the senior team in the near future.

After impressing onlookers in the U-22 Qualifiers, it’s no wonder that Aslam Khan was buzzing with excitement, as Saqib Hanif made save after save to deny the likes of Syria and Saudi Arabia.

“I think the way Saqib played in the Asian Cup Qualifiers was tremendous and I think he is a great future asset,” Aslam told ‘The News’ in an interview on Sunday. “At one stage we were undecided about who should be handed over the gloves in the opener against
Saudi Arabia as our other two keepers, Muzammil Hussain and Tanvir Mumtaz, were also very talented. But we decided to opt for Saqib and he lived up to the expectations by saving several sure goals against that mighty side,” Aslam recalled.

Pakistan would have crushed by heavy defeats if it weren’t for Saqib’s heroics, which have also earned him numerous admirers across the country.

“The boy played well in the rest of the matches as well and I am now happy that all my efforts have turned productive as the officials of Saudi Arabia team and the management of other participating teams said that the Pakistani keeper has played tremendously.”

Coach Zavisa Milosavljevic is currently expected to visit his family in Serbia and will take charge of the senior team when he returns, but whether Saqib features for them remains to be seen.

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Posted by Shahrukh Sohail on Jul 10 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry