Aston Villa's Arjan Raikhy released as Easah Suliman and Otis Khan gear up for historic Pakistan-India voyage
Aston Villa release Arjan Raikhy as Easah Suliman and Otis Khan prepare for Pakistan trip to India; showcasing the growing representation of British South Asians in football
Aston Villa has officially announced the departure of talented midfielder Arjan Raikhy. Raikhy, who has garnered interest from Wolves and Leicester, gained recognition for his remarkable goal against Chelsea while playing for Villa's U18s in November 2020.
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The midfielder, who possessed great technical skills, achieved his senior first-team debut merely two months after his entry into the club. This remarkable moment, hailed as "incredible" by the Punjabi Villans supporters' group, occurred during an FA Cup third-round match against Liverpool.
Raikhy ended a memorable season by setting up Ben Chrisene's opener in a 2-1 victory against Liverpool as Villa's U18s lifted the FA Youth Cup.
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Raikhy, the Sikh-Punjabi footballer, had a successful season where he played a crucial role in the promotion of two teams, Stockport County and Grimsby Town, during two separate loan spells. However, despite his impressive performance for Villa during their winter break in Dubai before the World Cup last year, Raikhy is among the eight players, including Ashley Young and Jed Steer, who have been released ahead of the upcoming season.
Suliman and Khan set to play for Pakistan away at India
In the upcoming South Asian Football Federation Championship, former Aston Villa defender Easah Suliman and Grimsby Town midfielder Otis Khan are expected to represent Pakistan as they take on hosts India in their opening match. The Pakistan government has shown their support by issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the country's federation, ensuring the participation of the Shaheens and dispelling any concerns about their ability to compete.Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
The defending champions, India, will be hosting Pakistan at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The previous encounter between these two teams took place at the SAFF Championship in 2018, resulting in a 3-1 victory for India.
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Pakistan, ranked significantly lower than India in the FIFA rankings, was unable to participate in the previous SAFF Championship due to a ban resulting from third-party interference. However, they were granted the opportunity to return to international football in the past year.
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Suliman and Khan were recently recognized as part of the ground-breaking British South Asians in Football Team of the Season. It is anticipated that both players will play a crucial role in Pakistan's upcoming match against Djibouti, which will mark the final game of the Mauritius Four Nations Cup on Saturday.
Pakistan's women's team returned to the international arena at last year's Women's SAFF Championship in Nepal.
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Doncaster Rovers Belles forward Nadia Khan, who We News recently reported had obtained international clearance just in time to travel to Kathmandu for the tournament, etched her name in history during Pakistan's final group match against Mauritius. Khan became the first woman to score four goals in an international match for her country.
