When thinking of sports in Pakistan, most have visions of excited fans cheering on their favorite cricketers in packed Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches, Imran Khan lifting up the ICC World Cup in 1992, or past Olympic gold glory in field hockey.
But what about football (soccer)?
To many, it’s an evening pastime, the sort of activity that the neighborhood kids come together to play in the streets. Or an activity to play when a cricket bat and ball are unavailable.
“The Beautiful Game” was introduced to South Asia by the British Raj. While its rise to popularity was not as meteoric as cricket, the sport is definitely well appreciated and played all over the subcontinent.
The Durand Cup, an annual domestic competition first started in 1888, used to attract teams from all over the region that now consists of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Indian Super League attracts a lot of star power and is a very successful venture. Millions of viewers tune in each year to watch various European soccer premier leagues and tournaments. The UEFA EURO 2020 garnered favorable response in the region, with matches reaching the top of the trending list on Pakistani Twitter.
Yet soccer isn’t regarded as a professional career path in Pakistan.
The lack of regard for professional soccer at a local level isn’t helped by the fact that disagreements between local Pakistani administrators and FIFA have had adverse results.
Bans were levied against the Pakistani soccer team and Pakistani players representing their country internationally. Players are sorely lacking professional training facilities and the domestic soccer league is amateurish at best, plagued by corrupt officials favoring personal gains over the promotion of the game.
Despite these hurdles, there are various communities across Pakistan – in pockets of Karachi, the streets of Quetta and the mountains of Hunza – where local children have passionately taken up soccer.
One such community resides in the Lyari area in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi.
The portside shantytown of Lyari is home to one of Karachi’s oldest communities. Originally a fishing village, the area became a hotbed for gang wars and drug violence in the 1980s and ‘90s. However, from within this darkness, the Lyari community has provided a home for some of the most talented soccer players in Pakistan’s history.
The passion with which they play the game has earned this community the nickname “mini-Brazil” in Pakistan.
During the golden years of Pakistani soccer in the 1960s, Lyari gave rise to many prominent soccer players who represented Pakistan internationally. Unfortunately, due to the political climate of the 70s and 80s, sports – particularly the already underfunded soccer – suffered immensely.
Yet Lyari did not forsake its love for the beautiful game.
The oldest soccer organization, the Lyari Football House, was built in 1976. It even precedes the FIFA House in Lahore, the current national soccer headquarters.
Lyari House’s founder, Abdul Sattar Gabol, enjoyed hosting gatherings that would attract many of the Pakistani soccer greats of that time including Yousuf Sr, Abbas Baloch, Muala Bux Momin and Captain Mohammad Umar Baloch.
Lyari was the base for these players, and after witnessing so much soccer activity in the area, the President of Pakistan gifted the city its first proper stadium, the KMC Football Ground, which hosted a number of international matches.
A surge in gang violence, however, eventually halted Lyari’s soccer activities. In 2009, gangs seized the Football House. Eventually, police ended the gang wars and the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) reclaimed the Football House.
Now, soccer is experiencing a gradual revival in the Lyari community.
In 2017 and 2018, Lyari hosted a soccer super league involving 128 local teams.
Small training camps like the Rising Stars Football Academy (founded by a former professional soccer player from Lyari, Murad), and efforts to turn the Lyari House into a museum and library honoring the region’s rich soccer history are underway.
But lack of financial support persists.
Community donations help fund soccer activities. But as Lyari is one of the poorest areas of Karachi, resources are lacking. Appeals to the local government for funding have been futile as well.
Still, the love for the sport endures.
“Football runs in our blood. Not only do I, but also all of my teammates aim to represent Pakistan’s national squad in years to come,” said 17-year-old Lyari United Football Club player, Shah Bibi, to the Anadolu Agency.
Lyari is far from being called a success story, but through the resilience, passion and determination of communities like these, the future of soccer in Pakistan will not be bleak.
