LAHORE: HavingbecomePakistanFootballFederation`s first elected president in six years, Mohsen Gilani opened his first news conference stating it was `better late than never`.

`It was something pending for a long time and we received very positive response from both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation that an elected federation is in place in Pakistan,` he said in his opening remarks.

Now, he said, it was time to bring positive change.

`Football is back on track finally after a long period of normalisation. We can`t recover the lost time but we can make up for the damage the best as we can,` he added.

In so many ways, Mohsen stated the PFF presidency wasn`t a bed of roses for him. Despite taking over at the helm, he still does not have access to the PFF accounts which remain blocked due to an ongoing legal case.

The former FIFA development officer also has to not only appoint coaches but also hire officials for the PFF secretariat. `You can`t do that when you don`t have control over the accounts,` Mohsen said. `But we`ve began our recruitment drive.

One of the key positions remains of the general secretary.

For now, Shahid Khokhar, who was a member of the FIFAappointed Normalisation Committee, remains acting general secretary but Mohsen said that post will be advertised.

`The general secretary is a post without which the federation can`t run. For now, the acting secretary is continuing.

But we have identified the positions since taking over ...

we`ve advertised these positions,` said Mohsen, stressing it was a break from the past.

`I don`t want to talk about the past but there are practices that should be highlighted to show change. We openly advertised these positions. It`s a transparent process through a committee. We will advertise the secretary general`s post. Those who want to apply are welcome.

`There is a selection criteria and we will nominate the best candidate as the general secretary, whose appointment will be ratified by the PFF executive committee. There is a process that is to be followed.

Mohsen expressed his surprise that a marketing department in the federation had been largely non-existent. `I don`t want the PFF to be reliant on funding from FIFA and AFC only. We have to generate our own revenue and there is huge scope for that. We can`t work without it. We have to run football as a business and it needs to be profitable.

He also stressed strong ties with the government. `It can`t be that we don`t have good ties with the government and we`ve had positive meetings with them.

Mohsen added that with FIFA president Gianni Infantino having expressed his desire to visit Pakistan, `those meetings will further strengthen ties`. `We are here to serve football and I believe the government is committed to seeing the best possible way to develop the sport in Pakistan.

SPORTING FRONT On the sporting front, Mohsen`s immediate challenge is to oversee the appointment of the coach for the Under-23 men`s team, which is to take part in qualifiers for the 2026 AFC Under-23 Asian Cup in September.

Pakistan are due to face hosts Cambodia, Iraq and Oman in Group`G` and Mohsen said the federation was working on appointing the coaching officials and holding of the training camp.

He also pledged the return of domestic events, which have been few and far between during the last decade due to the crisis in the PFF.

`We`re talking to different groups to launch a proper professional league,` he said. `We will start with the National Challenge Cup to give players a chance to play. The league is on our priority list. We want to develop elite competitions.

Mohsen emphasised that the national team`s impressive show in the AFC Women`s Asian Cup qualifiers was a starting point. Pakistan finished runners-up in Group `E` behind Chinese Taipei, recording victories against Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan.

`We need to invest in women`s football and set up a department to ensure implementation of the goals we set, he said. `We are in talks with FIFA over giving us special development programme for women`s football... especially the technical resources where we are lacking.

He informed that the PFF has also signed up for FIFA`s Arena Project, which involves the installation of minipitches to provide more playing opportunities for children.

`FIFA`s development programmes are like oxygen for us,` he said. `We`ve signed up for their pilot phase and with their [Arena Project`s] priority being to install pitches in schools, we would like to invite schools from all over the country to partner with us.

`It is a big thing because there is a severe lack of infrastructure. We have also collaborated with FIFA on the Football for Schools programme. We want to bring it to Pakistan to develop the football ecosystem.