Pakistan’s star winger Otis Khan was bitterly disappointed after missing the first leg of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier against Cambodia on Thursday.
Khan was barred from participating in the first leg by game’s governing body FIFA, which ruled him ineligible, despite him possessing a Pakistani passport.
Khan made his Pakistan debut against Mauritius in a friendly last June. His eligibility was based on his paternal grandfather, Kanwar Jamil Mohammed Khan, who was born in Delhi but later relocated to Pakistan following the partition in 1947, subsequently settling in Manchester.
“To say I'm gutted is an understatement. With the great support and blessing I've received from my club manager, supporters and teammates, I've travelled thousands of miles around the world to get here and to find out 2 hours before kick off I'm ineligible to play in a historic game is heartbreaking! How could this happen!? Angry, disappointed, let down, gutted. I don't know what to say!” Otis said on his official social media accounts.
“I am so proud to represent this country and like any young player simply had a dream to play for the National team. Someone needs to answer for this as you're stopping a simple dream from becoming possible! FIFA please deal with this urgently as I'm sat in hotel waiting for you to do your admin!” he added.
A winger who joined Grimsby from Leyton Orient last year, Khan holds six caps and had expected to be part of manager Stephen Constantine's team for the match against Cambodia on Thursday. However, it's been understood that, despite interviewing with FIFA's website to preview the match, he received notification this week that he had been declared ineligible.
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) released a statement stating that FIFA's decision "remains pending" and expressed hope for a positive resolution.
“The issue revolves around a specific requirement that one of Otis’ grandparents must have been born in Pakistan,” the statement said. “In his case, his grandfather was born in Delhi, British India, prior to the partition and subsequently migrated to Pakistan, like millions of others. Fifa has neither confirmed his ineligibility nor definitively declared him eligible, and their decision remains pending.
The statement continued, "We want to emphasise that we are actively collaborating with FIFA to address this matter comprehensively. Otis is not only a vital member of our team but has already represented Pakistan with distinction. Our ongoing discussions with FIFA aim to resolve this issue and provide a resolution that recognises his eligibility."
As per the Pakistan government any individuals who migrated to Pakistan from the territories in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent before the commencement of the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951 are declared citizens of Pakistan.
It must be noted that the first leg between Pakistan and Cambodia ended in a goalless draw. This marked the end of Pakistan's 12-match losing streak. They will play their first competitive fixture in Pakistan since 2011 in the second leg in Islamabad on October 17.
