LAHORE: In a dramatic turn of events, Mohsen Gilani — a former FIFA development officer — emerged as the new president of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Tuesday, winning an intense election against Taha Alizai, the founder of Karachi United.
This was the first official PFF election in ten years. Despite Taha being considered the favorite just a day before, claiming support from 13 out of the 24 PFF Congress members, Mohsen secured a narrow 13-11 victory in both voting rounds. The first round required a two-thirds majority, which neither candidate achieved, but Mohsen maintained his edge in the decisive second round.
“Winning anything meaningful is never easy,” said Mohsen after the results, “but today, it’s Pakistan football that truly wins. After years of uncertainty and crisis, we now have a legitimate leadership in place.”
Mohsen’s press conference happened while elections for the remaining executive committee positions were still underway. He emphasized unity, stating, “We are one football family.” His message was inclusive, pointing out that two of the three newly elected vice-presidents were from his rival’s panel, including Dr. Mohammad Ali and Naveed Aslam Lodhi.
Long known for his behind-the-scenes role, Mohsen stepped forward during the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee’s final phase, believing it was time for structural reform. “Governance failures have hurt Pakistan football for years,” he said. “Now is the time to fix that.”
The path to elections was long and chaotic. Since the last PFF elections in 2015, Pakistan football spiraled into crisis, prompting FIFA to impose a Normalisation Committee in 2019. After a six-year delay, the long-awaited election finally took place. Initially, there were three candidates, including Hafiz Zakaullah. However, Mohsen and Zaka formed an alliance, leading Zaka to withdraw. Mohsen denied speculation that he would hand over the presidency to Zaka after a year, clarifying, “Our only deal is to develop football together.”
Now, with elections complete, the transition begins. Mohsen’s focus is forward-looking. “We need to move beyond past disputes,” he asserted. “Our focus now must be on solid governance, reviving domestic competitions, developing our national team, and investing in coaches and referees.”
Despite Taha’s panel securing seven executive committee slots and two vice-presidency posts, Mohsen stressed collaboration, noting that both panels were now part of the same federation. “This blend of ideas and people can work together. The past is behind us.”
Zaka was elected the third vice-president, while two executive committee seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain to be filled in the next Congress session.
Mohsen made a strong appeal to government institutions and departments — most of whom backed Taha — to now come together for the sport’s future. “Football is a powerful tool for diplomacy, cooperation, and tourism. Without institutional support, our goals can’t be achieved,” he concluded.
