Management drama in build up to Pakistan-Bangladesh World Cup qualifiers

Pakistan's home FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bangaldesh, the first major sporting event to be held in the country since the religious terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009, will be broadcast live on national television.

“The Pakistan-Bangladesh clash will be aired live from PTV channel while we are also trying to air it from Geo Super,” Pakistan Football Federation Secretary, Lt Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi told APP.

The two countries are scheduled to play in Dhaka on 29 June and in Lahore on 3 July.

Lodhi said Pakistan's national team had shown a lot of improvement under its coach Tariq Lutfi but suggested "that an international coach would have trained the team better".

Bangladesh, however, has issues with its foriegn coaches with the Bangladesh Football Federation sacking national team coach Gjore Jovanovski because he would only start his duties after the two World Cup games against Pakistan.

The Bulgarian was named the Bangladesh coach on 14 June, replacing Croatian Robert Rubcic who was "axed after a pay dispute".

"We have no choice but to cancel his appointment as he is unwilling to travel to Pakistan," said Badal Roy, chairman of the national team management committee. Jovanovski's compatriot, Nikola Ilievski, has been named as his replacement.