Installation of the floodlights in Jinnah Stadium has been finally completed ahead of the Pakistan men’s national football team’s clash with Saudi Arabia in Group G of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers Round 2 on June 6.
Around 225 floodlights have been installed in the stadium to meet the requirements of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) delegation who inspected the Jinnah Stadium on April 6.
FIFA’s standard for floodlights in a stadium is 1800 lumens and according to sources, the latest floodlights meet the requirement of the apex football body.
Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had previously assured the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) that the floodlights would be installed before the highly anticipated clash in Islamabad.
However, the process had been delayed ever since the match between Cambodia and Pakistan was held at Jinnah Stadium due to which the PFF had to ask for three extensions from FIFA for the submission of the venue for the match against Jordan.
In January 2024, a rift was visib
le between the Pakistan Sports Board and the Haroon Malik-led PFF that forced the federation to search for alternative venues away from home.
Work is in progress regarding the installation of seats in the VIP area and reportedly around 300 seats will be installed to catapult the seating arrangement of the stadium before the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
It is a great sign for football in the country considering that Pakistan will host three more matches following the Saudi Arabia match, that will be held next year in the last round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.
Source: Pro Pakistani