List of Pakistan national football team managers

This article lists the Pakistan national football team managers/head coaches, since the team's international debut in 1950.

Overview

Khawaja Riaz Ahmed was appointed as the first coach of the Pakistan national team, for their tour to Iran and Iraq.

Under Shahjahan as coach, Pakistan won their first ever title at the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Tournament, where they ended joint-winner with India. ^[1] On 10 October 1957, Pakistan first foreign head coach John McBride was signed on a two-year contract. ^[2] Although he played a crucial role and served as selector of the team for the 1958 Asian Games, ^[3] it is unclear if he travelled to Tokyo for the Asian Games with the contingent team. ^[4] McBride culminated his coaching tenure with the national team after a tour to Burma in April 1959. ^{[5] [6]}

Chinese head coach Wang Xiao He led the national side to clinch the gold medal at the 1989 South Asian Games. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]} At the subsequent 1991 South Asian Games under the tenure of Muhammad Aslam Japani, Pakistan again retained the gold. ^{[11] [12]}

List of managers

Managers in italics took charge as caretaker or interim manager

• Khawaja Riaz Ahmed (1950) ^[5]
• Shahjahan (1952) ^[1]
• Syed Rahman (1953) ^[5]
• Khawaja Riaz Ahmed (1954) ^[5]
• Abdul Wahid Durrani (1955)
• ? (1956)
• John McBride (1957–1959)
• Saeed Mirza (1959)
• Sheikh Shaheb Ali (1960–1961)
• George Ainsley (1962)
• Sheikh Shaheb Ali (1963)
• Fl. Lt. Atiq Ahmad (1964–1965)
• Afzal Khan (1966–1967) ^{[13] [14]}
• Muhammad Amin (1967–1973)
• Mohammed Rahmatullah (1969)
• Mohammed Rahmatullah (1974)
• Géza Kalocsay (1976)
• Younus Rana (1981–1982)
• Zbigniew Szumski (1984–1985) ^{[15] [16] [17] [18]}
• Tariq Lutfi (1985–1986)
• Younus Changezi (1986)
• Younus Rana (1987)
• Burkhard Ziese (1987–1989)
• Tariq Lutfi (1989)
• Wang Xiao He (1989–1990)
• Muhammad Aslam Japani (1991–1993)
• Tariq Lutfi (1995)
• Muhammad Idrees (1996–1999)
• Pedro Dias (1999) ^[19]
• David Burns (2000–2001)
• John Layton (2001–2002)
• Jozef Herel (2002–2003)
• Tariq Lutfi (2003–2005)
• Salman Sharida (2005–2007)
• Akhtar Mohiuddin (2007–2008)
• Shahzad Anwar (2008)
• György Kottán (2009–2010)
• Tariq Lutfi (2011)
• Zaviša Milosavljević (2011–2013)
• Shahzad Anwar (2013)
• Mohammad Al-Shamlan (2013–2015)
• José Antonio Nogueira (2018–2019)
• Tariq Lutfi (2019)
• Shahzad Anwar (2022–2023)
• Stephen Constantine (2023–2025)
• Nolberto Solano (2025–)

Managerial records

As of 10 June 2025

• Only senior FIFA A matches considered.
• List also includes managers who took charge of the national team in senior unofficial matches.
• "Period" indicates the timespan of the first and last matches in charge, which may include periods not in charge of the national team
• Since 1981

Manager	Period	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	%W	Major Tournament(s)
Younus Rana	1981–1982	8	4	2	2	8	5	050.00	—
Zbigniew Szumski	1984–1985	6	2	0	4	6	17	033.33	—
Tariq Lutfi	1985–1986	11	3	0	8	14	24	027.27	1985 South Asian Games fourth place 1986 Asian Games group stage
Younus Changezi	1986	1	0	0	1	0	1	000.00	—
Younus Rana	1987	2	0	1	1	2	3	000.00	—
Burkhard Ziese	1987–1989	10	2	1	7	3	20	020.00	1987 South Asian Games third place
Tariq Lutfi	1989	1	0	0	1	1	4	000.00	—
Wang Xiao He	1989–1990	6	2	1	3	4	16	033.33	1989 South Asian Games champions 1990 Asian Games group stage
Muhammad Aslam Japani	1991–1993	21	2	4	15	10	66	009.52	1991 South Asian Games champions 1993 SAARC Gold Cup group stage 1993 South Asian Games group stage
Tariq Lutfi	1995	2	1	0	1	1	2	050.00	1995 SAARC Gold Cup group stage
Muhammad Idrees	1996–1999	12	2	0	10	6	33	016.67	1997 SAFF Gold Cup third place 1999 SAFF Gold Cup group stage
Pedro Dias	1999	3	1	0	2	5	15	033.33	1999 South Asian Games group stage
David Burns	2000	4	0	0	4	0	16	000.00	—
John Layton	2001	6	0	1	5	5	29	000.00	—
Jozef Herel	2002	4	0	2	2	2	4	000.00	—
Tariq Lutfi	2003–2005	13	5	1	7	12	16	038.46	2003 SAFF Gold Cup fourth place
Salman Sharida	2005–2006	16	3	3	10	9	31	018.75	2005 SAFF Gold Cup semi-finals 2006 AFC Challenge Cup group stage
Akhtar Mohiuddin	2007–2008	10	3	1	6	17	28	030.00	2008 SAFF Championship group stage
Shahzad Anwar	2008	1	0	0	1	1	4	000.00	—
György Kottán	2009	7	2	3	2	16	8	028.57	2009 SAFF Championship group stage
Tariq Lutfi	2011	5	1	1	3	3	9	020.00	—
Zaviša Milosavljević	2011–2013	12	3	4	5	6	14	025.00	2011 SAFF Championship group stage
Shahzad Anwar	2013	3	1	1	1	3	3	033.33	2013 SAFF Championship group stage
Mohammad Al-Shamlan	2013–2015	8	2	1	5	6	16	025.00	—
José Antonio Nogueira	2018–2019	8	2	0	6	8	13	025.00	2018 SAFF Championship semi-finals
Shahzad Anwar	2022–2023	8	0	0	8	1	15	000.00	2023 SAFF Championship group stage
Stephen Constantine	2023–2025	10	1	1	8	2	29	010.00	—

See also

• Pakistan portal
• Association football portal
• Lists portal

• Pakistan national football team results

References

1. "Times of Ceylon 1952.03.14 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
2. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 10 October 1957" – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 11 May 1958" – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 24 May 1958" – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan – Part I". Dawn . Karachi, Pakistan. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
6. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 17 April 1959" – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "PFF unlikely to retain Chinese coach". DAWN.COM. 2004-04-11. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
8. "Chinese Xiao named coach - Newspaper". Dawn.Com. 2003-12-19. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
9. "Tariq, Balal to assist Chinese coach - Newspaper". Dawn.Com. 2003-12-24. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
10. Ali, Shazad (2003-12-31). "2003 bleak year for Pakistan football". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
11. "PFF condoles death of gold medallist coach Aslam". Brecorder. 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
12. Ahsan, Ali (2010-12-23). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part III". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
13. "Pakistan Observer, 1966.11.25 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
14. "Peshawar DFA criticised". The Morning News . 15 March 1967. p. 11.
15. New Straits Times Aug 30, 1984. New Straits Times.
16. New Straits Times Aug 23, 1984. New Straits Times.
17. New Straits Times Aug 27, 1984. New Straits Times.
18. New Straits Times Sep 2, 1984. New Straits Times Sep 2, 1984.
19. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Pedro Dias (Coach)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2025-03-04.