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Former West Bromwich Albion playmaker Adil Nabi has been hailed as the “next big thing” for Pakistan football and is hoping to represent the national team in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers Round 2 matches in March. However, his hopes of receiving his Pakistani passport before the matches are in jeopardy because the relevant ministries issue pending passports.
Nabi has experienced an extensive and grueling procedure to acquire his Pakistani passport. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) can only request the relevant ministry to expedite the process of passport issuance if there is a pending case. According to sources, Nabi’s document verification process has been completed and now he needs to officially apply for his passport from a specific Pakistani embassy in England.
Nabi has been trying to obtain a Pakistani passport for over a year and submitted his official documents for verification to a Pakistani embassy in England. The government of Pakistan verified his credentials, but he now needs to return to the embassy in England to apply for his Pakistani passport. There is currently no Pakistani embassy in Cyprus, where Nabi is playing for Doxa Katokopias FC in Cyprus’s first division, so receiving his passport on time is imperative.
Once Nabi applies for his passport from the Pakistani embassy in England, the FIFA clearance of Nabi will follow. He represented the England U-17 team at the international level, so FIFA clearance is required for him to represent Pakistan. Nabi has played 17 matches for Doxa Katokopias FC and has scored one goal in the entire season so far. However, his club is languishing at the bottom of the table with only eight games to go in the season, and Nabi is currently focused on fighting relegation.
If Nabi gets his passport on time, he can become a valuable overseas acquisition for the Pakistan Men’s National Football team. The British-born Pakistani attacking midfielder could play a crucial role in Pakistan’s World Cup qualifying campaign and help the team secure a spot in the tournament.
