Maria Khan excited to play at the international stage after eight years
\nISLAMABAD
\nPakistan women\u2019s football team will witness a historic day on September 7, as their eight-year-long wait will be over after the team takes on India to kick off its campaign in SAFF Women Championship.
\nPakistan will be led by UAE-based Maria Khan, who will enter the field for her international debut wearing the captain\u2019s armband.
\nUAE-based Maria Khan will lead the Pakistan team who will enter the field for her international debut wearing the captain\u2019s armband.
\nIn an exclusive interview with Geo.tv, Maria spoke about her journey, her experience of being in the Pakistan camp and her plans for the team.
\nThe 31-year-old goal-keeper turned mid-fielder said that the Pakistan team is \u201cnot in Nepal just to show off\u201d and players are really looking forward to competing well.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re hungry, we\u2019re looking to come in and compete, we\u2019re not here to just show up. The girls are really excited. Really excited for the opportunity to finally get back on the international stage after eight years. There\u2019s good energy throughout the camp,\u201d she told Geo.tv from Kathmandu after the team\u2019s first training session there.
\n\u201cOne of the key strengths within the team is that we do have a young team and that means our girls are able to recover a lot quicker as well as adapt and learn information and absorb information very quickly as well,\u201d the captain said.
\n\u201cInshallah we will make you guys proud,\u201d Maria said confidently.
\nMaria is one of two overseas players selected by the Pakistan Football Federation for the SAFF Cup. Maria has remained part of the Pakistan football circuit since 2018 and has not only attended national camps but also participated in the national women\u2019s football championship.
\nSpeaking about her journey, Maria said that she started playing football 25 years ago at the age of six.
\n\u201cMy experience started in the US, where I started playing at the age of six. I transitioned from a fields player to the goalkeeper and then I continued to play goalkeeper all the way throughout my time in the US. I played Division One soccer at the University of Denver,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cOnce I finished university, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. At that time, the women\u2019s pro league in the US was very volatile, there would be one season where it was on and one season where it was off. So, pursuing a professional football career back in 2013, even in the US, was not a realistic option. So, I decided to continue my education and I ended up being in the UAE and played football professionally,\u201d Maria recalled.
\nTalking about her debut match, the footballer said that it is an honour to lead and represent the country and she will be doing that to the best of her abilities.
\n\u201cInshallah, on September 7, I will get the opportunity to earn my first international cap. It is an absolute honour to be in the position that I am in. It\u2019s been quite a journey for me, I\u2019ve waited 20-plus years for this chance; there\u2019s a lot of emotions happening. I have been given an opportunity to help lead this team and my role within that is just a small role compared to the role that every single girl on this team plays,\u201d she said.
\nThe USA-born footballer added that the preparatory camp ahead of SAFF Cup was an \u201cabsolutely amazing\u201d experience and it helped her develop not only as a player on the pitch but also as a person and a human being off the pitch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Maria Khan excited to play at the international stage after eight years ISLAMABAD Pakistan women\u2019s football team will witness a historic day on September 7, as their eight-year-long wait will be over after the team takes on India to kick off its campaign in SAFF Women Championship. Pakistan will be led by UAE-based Maria Khan, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280861,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-280847","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n