PFF Announces Women's Five-a-Side SHE League, Set to Begin October 10

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has announced the launch of the SHE League and SHE League Juniors, a new five-a-side women's football competition scheduled to begin on October 10, 2026, at the Jinnah Sports Complex in Islamabad.

The federation confirmed the initiative through a video shared on its official social media platforms on October 9, describing it as a platform for girls and young women to showcase their talent and pursue their ambitions of representing Pakistan.

Tournament Details and Participating Clubs

According to journalist Zeeshan Shafi, the competition will feature two age categories, Under-16 and Under-23, with a total of 10 team entries across both divisions.

Under-16 Category

• Islamabad City
• Smurfs
• Strikers
• Vibrant
• Midfield and Blue Jays

Under-23 Category

• Islamabad City
• Smurfs
• Strikers
• Hunza City FC
• Legacy

U16 Competition Linked to FIFA's New Youth Tournament

Shafi also reported that the U16 competition will serve as a talent identification platform for Pakistan's preparations for the 2027 FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival.

FIFA's new U-15 World Cup & Festival is set to debut with a boys' edition in 2026, followed by the first girls' edition in 2027.

Pakistan's participation would provide an international opportunity for young female footballers, making the identification of eligible players an important part of the federation's preparations.

PFF's Plans to Develop Women's Football

The SHE League announcement follows the PFF's launch of its Women's Football Strategy 2026–2030 on September 14.

The strategy, introduced under the theme "From Paper to the Pitch", outlines plans to strengthen women's football through grassroots competitions, player development, coaching education and improved national-team structures.

According to a report by Dawn, the federation's figures showed that Pakistan had just 673 registered female players, 62 registered clubs and academies, and five certified female referees.

The PFF's plans include regional training centres, national youth programmes and a target of at least 10 international matches annually for the senior women's national team.

Domestic Leagues and International Football Remain Major Concerns

Despite the new initiatives, Pakistan still lacks a regular nationwide 11-a-side women's football league.

While competitions such as the National Women's Football Championship have been organised in the past, a consistent league structure offering regular competitive matches remains absent.

The situation is similar in men's football, where Pakistan continues to operate without an established national league. The PFF has been working on plans to introduce a new men's league, with hopes of getting the competition underway in 2027, although a confirmed launch date has yet to be announced.

PFF President Mohsen Gilani has previously outlined plans for district and provincial leagues, eventually leading to a national competition structure, alongside dedicated youth and women's leagues.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan women's senior national team is once again absent from international action during the current window.

The team's last appearance came at the FIFA Women's Series in April 2026, where Pakistan recorded a historic 8–0 victory over the Turks and Caicos Islands before suffering defeats against Mauritania and Ivory Coast.

That campaign ended on April 16, meaning the senior side has now gone almost six months without another international fixture.

The situation at youth level is even more concerning. Pakistan currently lacks regularly competing women's age-group national teams and did not participate in the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, which feature 29 nations, including regional neighbours India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The launch of the SHE League is a positive addition to the domestic calendar, but establishing regular 11-a-side competitions, active youth national teams and consistent international fixtures remains essential if the federation is to deliver on its wider development plans.