Brazilian football coach arrives in Karachi to train youngsters

KARACHI: Brazilian football coach Romildo Sanchez arrived here on Sunday to train young Pakistani footballers for a few days.

The US-based Brazilian has been invited by the Foundation United Soccer Academy, which works under the Foundation Public School.

After arriving in Pakistan, Sanchez visited different schools in Karachi where he gave tips to young footballers about shooting techniques and to keep control over the ball.

Speaking to Geo News, Sanchez said Pakistanis and Brazilians were very similar.

"Pakistan has a lot of talent for football. It’s like my own country. People here are just like us, only the language is different," he said.

During his visit, Sanchez – who is the Director Players Club of Tampa Bay, Florida-USA – will impart training to students of different schools, five district associations of the provincial metropolis. He is also expected to hold training sessions for the youth of Lyari — where football is a popular sport.

Sanchez has been helping children in the US develop their skills by teaching them the fundamental and technical aspects of the game. In 1993, he had the opportunity to be a part of two important events in the United States. The first one was "Soccer Blast: USA Legends of Soccer" tour, where he worked with reputable players such as Desmond Armstrong and Michelle Akers Stahl, both from the US national team of that time. Hundreds of children aged 8-16 came to improve their knowledge and skill.

The second was the US CUP 1993, where he worked with the American and Brazilian national teams.

In 1996, he helped establish the Valrico Soccer Club. In 1999, he moved on to create ‘The Players Club of Tampa Bay, a youth soccer organisation totally dedicated to football development.

During his visit to Pakistan, Sanchez is scheduled to hold training sessions at different venues for around ten days.