New Delhi: Rogerio Ramos, Brazilian goalkeeping coach for Pakistan’s national football team, has discussed the contrasts in the sport between India and Pakistan.

Ramos, who has previously served as a goalkeeping coach for Odisha FC and Mumbai FC in the Indian Super League, has extensive experience, having worked with various clubs such as EC Santo Andre SP and EC Novo Hamburgo RS in Brazil, Mahindra United and Vasco Sports Club in India, Young In Academy in South Korea, and NEA Salamina in Cyprus.

He pointed out that when he started in India, the country already had an organised league, well-functioning clubs, and players regularly competing. This setup, he noted, is crucial for national team coaches to observe, guide, and analyse players. In contrast, he highlighted that Pakistan currently lacks such a structured environment, which hampers the exposure and development of its players. “India are in a better situation than Pakistan because the time I got the job they had already organised the league, clubs running properly, players getting exposure to competition. We need players to be exposed every week during games, so we can watch them, guide and analyse them and right now for us we don’t have that situation happening in Pakistan.,” Ramos said in an exclusive interview with Express Tribune. “Players don’t get that exposure and game time that they should be getting in order to show their talent. That’s why I believe Pakistani players aren’t that good than indians in that moment,” he added. Despite some criticism from friends and supporters over his move to Pakistan, Ramos remains committed and hopeful, stressing that football can bridge divides and foster mutual respect. “I know that few friends of mine and people who support me didn’t like that I got job in Pakistan but I am happy because football has this power to destroy these barriers,” he said. In 2023, Pakistan’s men’s football team made history by advancing to the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after defeating Cambodia 1-0 in Islamabad. However, they faced tough opponents like Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Jordan in the second round, losing all six matches and finishing last in Group G. Ramos attributed these losses to the high caliber of their opponents, who enjoy better facilities, leagues, and experience.

“The reason for losses is we played better opposition. We played Saudi Araba, which is one of the best team in Asia. We played Jordan, who recently were the finalist of Asian cup. We played Tajikistan is a good team they all were in the last 8 in Asian cup,” he said. “Those teams are in different level if we compare them to our players, they play in good leagues they have better facilities they have better exposure. Of Course, they have more experience,” he added. Despite these challenges, Ramos is optimistic about the future of Pakistani football. He believes that with time and regular competition, players will develop a better mentality and improve their skills. “Players need time to develop better mentality.  We have good players in Pakistan who want to play and like to play. But we need players to get competition, and play regularly,” he said. “I believe football players are there and we need find them and they need to show up. Once, we can select the best players in the country by many options, we will improve our level. This is natural,” he added.