Newcastle United legend Nolberto Solano named as Pakistan coach

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Newcastle United legend Nolberto Solano has been appointed as head coach of Pakistan’s senior and under-23 teams.

Solano will take over from Stephen Constantine and his first major assignment will be the AFC Under-23 qualifiers in September where Pakistan is grouped with Cambodia, Iraq and Oman.

He will also be in charge for the remainder of Pakistan’s 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign, including a double-header against Afghanistan in October.

Solano’s appointment is the first major signing by the newly-elected Pakistan Football Federation with Mohsen Gilani as its president.

“Under President Mohsen Gilani’s leadership, PFF proudly welcomes Nolberto Solano as Head Coach of Pakistan U23 with a pathway to the senior team!,” the PFF wrote on X while welcoming the former Peru winger.

“A true legend with EPL, World Cup & Copa América pedigree it’s a new era for Pakistan football.”

Solano was the assistant coach of Peru when his country qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 in Russia after 36 years. He left the national team in 2022 when Peru failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar after it was beaten by Australia in an inter-continental playoff.

Constantine led Pakistan to its first ever victory in a World Cup qualifier in Oct. 2023 and had been coaching the team on game-to-game basis after his one-year contract expired in November last year.