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LAHORE: In a historic move, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Sunday named Arooj Sohail Butt as the Manager of the Pakistan Men’s U-17 National Team.
This move marked history as Arooj Sohail Butt became the first female manager in the country to hold such a key position.
The newly appointed manager has been actively working with PFF since 2022 in the role of safeguarding officer.
Besides her role, she holds multiple certifications in child safeguarding from FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
She has been assigned to oversee the under-17 squad ahead of the forthcoming SAFF Championship and Asian qualifiers later this year.
Following Arooj Sohail Butt’s appointment, PFF shed light on the initiative and inclusion of women in football regulations.
“The initiative closely aligns with FIFA’s global objectives, especially its commitment to human rights, anti-discrimination, and the inclusion of women in football governance, as outlined in Article 3 of the FIFA Statutes,” it said.
“FIFA’s 2016 reforms also emphasized the importance of women’s full participation in shaping the future of the sport,” it added.
On the occasion, PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani also expressed his views and lauded Arooj Sohail Butt’s presence for a better future.
‘I am proud to see women taking managerial roles in the history of Pakistan football. We believe her presence will inspire more women to take up key roles in football,” he said.
