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Football in Pakistan

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This article is about men's football. For women's football, see Women's football in Pakistan.

Football in Pakistan
Jinnah Sports Stadium
CountryPakistan
Governing bodyPakistan Football Federation
National team(s)Men's national team
First played1950
National competitions
Club competitions

Football is among the most popular team sports in Pakistan, together with long time number one cricket and field hockey.[1][2][3] Pakistan's current top domestic football league is the Pakistan Premier League, recognised by the AFC as the official national football league. The PFF National Challenge Cup is a knock-out competition among Pakistani departmental and government institutions. Football in general is run by the Pakistan Football Federation.[4]

History

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Origins

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Old Boys and the Dyal Singh College football teams photographed after a match in the 1936-37 Lahore Football League

The origin of football in Pakistan can be traced back to the mid-nineteenth century when the game was introduced during the British Raj. British evangelist Theodore Leighton Pennell played a crucial role in introducing football to the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in the last decade of the nineteenth century.[5] One of the regional federations to organise football in what is now Pakistan Territory was the North-West India Football Association, in which clubs from the city of Lahore and the surrounding region were active.[6] Shining Club Kohat became the first outstation team to win the North-West India Football Championship 1937 in 1937, defeating Government College Lahore 1–0 in the finals.[6][7] In addition a club league was organised in Lahore, won in 1936/37 by Old Boys Club.[6][8]

Early years (1950s)

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Muhammad Ali Jinnah with Hazara FC Quetta in 1946

Shortly after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was created, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Patron-in-Chief. PFF received recognition from FIFA in early 1948.[9] The annual National Football Championship was organized shortly after. In 1950, the national team gained their first international experience in Iran and Iraq. The better organised and well-attended Dhaka League gave a level of competitive professionalism in East Pakistan, which lacked in West Pakistan, often attracting the leading players from West Pakistan to play professionally in a competition run as a parallel to the National Championships each year.[10][11] Pakistan's next international outing came in the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament where the team played its first match against India, which ended in a goalless draw and emerged as joint winners of the tournament after finishing with the same points in the table.[12]

Ismail Gold Shield Football Tournament at Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium in the 1950s

In the 1950s because of limited options available for PFF, international games were infrequent. Pakistan could not participate in any World Cup qualification for many years because of financial limitations and political instability inside the PFF, competing mainly in the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament editions and the Asian Games.[11] However, the country hosted the Ismail Gold Shield Football Tournament which featured teams from India, Iran, Ceylon, along with others.[13][14][15] The matches were held under floodlights, mainly at the Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium in Multan.[16][17]

Emergence (1960s)

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The 1960s resulted in the first incipient golden era, which saw one of the finest players to ever grace the field in Pakistan football history.[10] Pakistan had participated in various friendly tournaments in the early 1960s, with the Merdeka Cup hosted in Malaysia after the country first participation in 1960.[18] Pakistan recorded some famous victories including a 7–0 walloping of Thailand,[19] and a 3–1 win over the Asian powerhouses Japan.[19] In the 1962 Merdeka Tournament, Pakistan ended runner up after falling to Singapore by 1–2 in the final.[20]

Pakistan XI against FC Kairat from the Soviet Union at the KMC Stadium in 1968

The decade also saw many foreign teams often tour Pakistan for unofficial friendly matches during their off-seasons, including teams from China, Soviet Union, or Saudi Arabia. Most notably in 1963, whilst on a world tour, Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf had to make an emergency stop in Pakistan due to aircraft problems, leaving them stranded for a few days. The PFF invited Fortuna to tour East and West Pakistan playing friendly matches against select XI sides. The Dallas Tornado side of the North American Soccer League went on a world tour that took them from Europe to Asia. During the trip, the team made a week’s stop in Pakistan from October to November 1967, where they played the Pakistan national team, winning 2-0 in Karachi and losing by 4–2 in Lahore.[21][10] The club also played against the Pakistan youth team at Dhaka ending in a 1–1 draw (other sources state 5–2 victory for Pakistani side[22]) in 31 October, and against an unknown team tying 0–0 in Chittagong in 1 November.[23][22]

Dark era (1970s)

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Pakistan at the 1974 RCD Cup in Karachi
Pakistan Airlines was the most successful team at the National Football Championship with nine titles

The dark ages of Pakistani football soon followed. East Pakistan revolted and eventually became Bangladesh in December 1971, inheriting the better football infrastructure of East Pakistan, and the Dhaka League.

Football mainly survived on the basis of sports budgets of departmental teams like WAPDA, Army, KESC, SSGC, PIA and Railways, which hired footballers as employees and provided them with a basic wage to play for their sides and work full time in the off-season.[10][24] During this dark period, however, several local leagues were launched across the Middle East, where several Pakistani players represented club sides in these leagues and some of these players even coached the clubs’ new youth setups. Several local tournaments also started in Pakistan, such as the international Quaid-e-Azam International Cup and the domestic PFF National Challenge Cup.[10]

Resurgence (1980–1990)

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In 1985, the Asian Football Confederation brought back the Asian Club Championship after a 14 year absence. Pakistan Airlines, having won the 1984 Inter Provincial Championship, was elected to become Pakistan’s first representative in Asian club football, ending up unsuccessful. Pakistan started playing a vital role in the World Cups for years before the participation. The sports goods industry of Sialkot had been providing millions of footballs around the world, peaking during World Cup seasons, since 1980. However Pakistan began with their first ever participation for the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Italy, ending up unsuccessful. The national team bounced back, when several months later they took Gold at the 1989 South Asian Games, beating Bangladesh 1–0 in the final.[25] In the 1991 South Asian Games, Pakistan beat the Maldives in the final 2–0 to win their second Gold.[26] Later in the year the first SAFF Cup took place in Lahore in 1993, and the national team finished fourth.

Decline (1990s–2003)

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Pakistani football became a hot bed for politics in the early 1990s. In 1990, Pakistan Football Federation held its general elections in which Mian Muhammad Azhar won the presidency by a margin of one vote, beating the Pakistan Peoples Party leader Faisal Saleh Hayat. Azhar later ousted PFF General Secretary Hafiz Salman Butt (a Member of National Assembly of Jamaat-e-Islami) in 1994 due to political rifts and alleged abuse of power.[27]

Between 1991 and 1994 however, the years were often regarded as the best administrative era of Pakistani football.[28] Under Hafiz Salman Butt, the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons of the National Football Championship structured on a proper league-style basis and spread over a number of months.[29] Butt also managed to get a three-year sponsorship deal with Lifebuoy Soap, with amounts of 35 million PKR spent in the organisations of the seasons and televised through the country.[27][30][28][31] With Butt's dismissal in 1994 and ban by FIFA in 1995, Pakistani football declined again into an era of mismanagement and long-lasting lack of sponsors in the upcoming years.[27] Wohaib, founded by Butt, became the first Pakistani club to pass the qualifying round of the Asian Club Championship, where it qualified in the 1992–93 edition.[27][32]

Pakistan Airlines lost their dominance until the end of the 1990s, winning their last of 9 national championships in 1997. WAPDA, Pakistan Army, and Allied Bank before their disbanding in early 2000s took over as the dominant sides in Pakistan. The physically dominant gameplay of Punjab teams, had over-taken Karachi football by then.[27]

Faisal Saleh Hayat Era (2003–2017)

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In August 2003, the PFF became under new management, as the politician Faisal Saleh Hayat took over. Under new management, the Pakistan Football Federation phased out the National Football Championship and in 2004 introduced the Pakistan Premier League with promotion and relegation.[33][34] The league would remain under severe criticism due to precarious and unprofessional conditions and setup. Departments continued to dominate the domestic competitions. The emergence of clubs like founding member Afghan FC Chaman or Muslim FC gave competition to well-established departmental sides, which poached talented players without any transfer fees or compensation involved.[34] The Geo Super Football League of 2007, running as a parallel city-based league to Pakistan Premier League, held in Karachi saw record crowds at Peoples Stadium. It wasn’t until 2010 with the next edition that the Geo League came back only to be discontinued due to differences with the PFF.[34] The Pakistan under-23 national team also showed improvement, winning the South Asian Games gold in 2004 and 2006. Karachi also saw resurgence in football with Karachi United emerging in the mid 2000s to revolutionise grass-roots level football in Pakistan.[34]

However the controversial PFF chief Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat politician soon became known as a "feudal lord of Pakistani football" due to embezzlement of funds among other controversies.[35] Since March 2015, the top division of the Pakistan Premier League remained suspended because the crisis created due to his actions, along with the men's senior team, who remained suspended from any international competition, and FIFA rankings of the senior team had slumped.[36][37] During his controversial tenure, Pakistan's FIFA ranking dropped from 168 in 2003 to 201 in 2017, which was the year that PFF consequently received a ban from FIFA.[38]

Suspensions and inactivity (2018–2022)

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Afghan Chaman against the Ashraf Sugar Mills departmental team during the 2018–19 Pakistan Premier League

The lift on suspension by FIFA on 13 March 2018.[39] The 2018–19 season was ultimately organised by two different federations. Faisal Saleh Hayat-led Pakistan Football Federation, which was internationally recognised, started the league and non-FIFA recognised Ashfaq Hussain Shah group, which formed a parallel PFF, coming into power by third-party interference through the PFF elections conducted by the Supreme Court.[40][41][42] In 2019, Pakistan national team also lost its chance to pass the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification after losing against Cambodia due to national camps held by two different factions.[43] In January 2019, Atlético Madrid also launched Pakistan's first European football academy.[44][45][46][47]

After the suspension once again from all football activities by FIFA on 7 April 2021,[48][49] the 2021–22 season was initially organised by the Ashfaq Hussain Shah group, who again came to power after attacking and taking charge of the PFF office.[50] The tournament was suspended after a few months into the season and then cancelled.[51]

2022–present

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The suspension was lifted on 29 June 2022.[52] On 27 July 2023, the draw for the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification took place in which Pakistan were drawn once again against Cambodia, followed by the appointment of the English coach Stephen Constantine.[53] In the first leg in Phnom Penh, Pakistan contested in a goalless 0–0 draw.[54] Pakistan won their second leg beating Cambodia 1–0 in Islamabad, due to a goal by former QPR player, Harun Hamid, recording their first-ever victory in World Cup qualifiers in their first fixture at home for eight years, and qualifying for the second round for the first time.[55]

League system

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Main article: Pakistan football league system

The National Football Championship was the men's highest level competition, mainly through knock-out system from 1948 to 2003. It was eventually replaced by the Pakistan Premier League from the 2004–05 season in order to professionalize the sport in Pakistan. The Pakistan Premier League operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Football Federation League.

The franchise based Geo Super Football League was held in 2007 and 2010. Regional and city based leagues have also been held, such as Karachi Football League.

Cup competitions

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Domestic cup competitions

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  • PFF National Challenge Cup (1979–present): Initially named as Inter Departmental Championship, it was introduced in 1979 to offer nationwide competition to departmental selections and armed forces teams excluded from the national football league of Pakistan.[56]

International cup competitions

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National teams

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Significance of Lyari in Football Development

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Panoramic view of Lyari along with Kakri Football Ground

Lyari, a neighbourhood in Karachi, holds an important place in Pakistan's football landscape due to its historical and cultural ties to the sport. Dating back several decades, Lyari has been a consistent source of football talent, contributing significantly to the national sports scene.[57][58] In its early years, football in Pakistan was mainly concentrated to Balochistan and the locality of Lyari,[3] from where majority of players of the Pakistan national football team were recruited mainly in the 1960s, which is often regarded as the early golden age of Pakistani football.[59][60] Notable players during this period include Abdul Ghafoor, nicknamed the "Pakistani Pelé" and "Black Pearl of Pakistan",[61] Muhammad Umer, Moosa Ghazi, Abid Ghazi, Turab Ali, Ali Nawaz Baloch, among others.[59][60] The Kakri Ground and People's Football Stadium, which is one of the major football stadiums in the country are located in the city.[62]

Football in Lyari is not just a pastime; it is an integral part woven in to the fabric of the community's cultural identity.[63] One notable aspect is the nickname "Little Brazil" often associated with Lyari, reflecting the neighborhood's fervent passion for football, drawing parallels to the football-crazy culture of Brazil.[64] The grassroots football culture in Lyari emphasises skill and community engagement, with local clubs and tournaments acting as catalysts for talent development.[65][64]

Lyari's football tournaments serve as important events for talent identification and community cohesion.[66] The locality made news during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for the community's love for Brazilian football and the locals gathering in front of large TV screens to watch the games together.[67]

Largest football stadiums by capacity in Pakistan

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Main article: List of football stadiums in Pakistan
Stadium Capacity City Province Home team(s)
Jinnah Sports Stadium 48,900[68] Islamabad Islamabad Capital Territory Pakistan national football team
People's Football Stadium 40,000[69] Karachi Sindh Pakistan national football team

See also

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References

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  2. ^ "'Football played more than cricket in Pakistan in last five years'". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Rising Popularity of Football in Pakistan Reflects Growing Interest in the Sport". Daily Times. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  4. ^ "FIFA, AFC committed to promoting soccer in Pakistan: PFF president". Nation.com.pk. 26 February 2014. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
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  8. ^ "North-West India 1936/37". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Govt Sports Portal". Sports.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d e Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part II". DAWN News. DAWN. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
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  12. ^ "Asian Quadrangular Tournament (Colombo Cup) 1952–1955". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 04 August 1962" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 10 August 1961" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Wednesday 22 February 1956" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 25 June 1959" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 14 July 1960" – via British Newspaper Archive.
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  19. ^ a b "Merdeka Tournament 1960". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Merdeka Tournament 1962". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  21. ^ www.nasljerseys.com https://www.nasljerseys.com/Misc/Tornado%2067-68%20World%20Tour2.htm. Retrieved 2 July 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ a b "Dallas Tornado world tour 1967-68". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  23. ^ www.nasljerseys.com https://www.nasljerseys.com/Misc/Tornado%2067-68%20World%20Tour2.htm. Retrieved 23 May 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ^ Hasan, Shazia (5 March 2023). "REVIVING FOOTBALL IN LYARI". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  25. ^ Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part III". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  26. ^ "5th South Asian Federation Games 1991 (Colombo, Sri Lanka)". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d e "A history of football in Pakistan – Part III". Dawn.com. 23 December 2010. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  28. ^ a b Wasim, Umaid (30 January 2021). "OBITUARY: Hafiz Salman Butt — Pakistan football's influential firebrand". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  29. ^ Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part III". DAWN News. DAWN. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  30. ^ Sohail, Shahrukh (9 August 2020). "FOOTBALL: A LEAGUE FOR PAKISTAN FOOTBALL". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
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  35. ^ "Faisal Saleh Hayat: The feudal lord of Pakistani football". The Nation. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
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  37. ^ Raheel, Natasha (15 February 2017). "Still no end to PFF crisis". Tribune.com.pk. Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
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  40. ^ Wasim, Umaid (14 January 2019). "Contentious PPFL season ends with controversially-promoted team denied title". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  41. ^ "The balance sheet | TNS - The News on Sunday". 23 January 2019. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  42. ^ "The need for domestic football league | Sports | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  43. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (26 May 2019). "Foreign-based players join Pakistan training camp". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  44. ^ "Atletico Madrid shoot for football future in cricket-mad Pakistan". Dawn. 20 January 2019. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  45. ^ "Atletico Madrid's Pakistan academy: Spanish giants seek raw talent & viewing share". BBC. 27 December 2018. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  46. ^ "How Atletico Madrid plan to tap into potential of Pakistani football". The Independent. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  47. ^ "Aspiring footballers dare to dream at Atletico Madrid's Lahore academy". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  48. ^ "FIFA suspends Chad and Pakistan football associations". FIFA. 7 April 2021. Archived from the original on 7 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
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  50. ^ "PPFL to begin in Multan from August 14". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  51. ^ "Pakistan 2021/22". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  52. ^ "FIFA lifts suspension of Pakistan Football Federation". FIFA. 29 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  53. ^ Hussain, Abid. "A 'very different' Pakistan? National football team aim to end dire record". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  54. ^ Aarons, Ed (16 October 2023). "Pakistan brings international football home after a bitter power struggle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  55. ^ Aarons, Ed (16 October 2023). "Pakistan beat Cambodia to register first win in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers history". Geo Sports. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  56. ^ Naveed, Malik Riaz Hai; Wahidi, Syed Akber Ali (14 February 2019). "Pakistan - List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  57. ^ Hasan, Shazia (5 March 2023). "REVIVING FOOTBALL IN LYARI". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  58. ^ Dawn.com (28 March 2012). "The good, the bad & the Lyari". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  59. ^ a b Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part I". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  60. ^ a b Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part II". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  61. ^ Raheel, Natasha (8 September 2012). "Pakistani Pele was a 'football encyclopaedia' | The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  62. ^ "Promoting or destroying football in Lyari?". DAWN.COM. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  63. ^ "In Pictures: Lyari trades guns for football". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  64. ^ a b "In Pakistan's 'Mini Brazil,' football fever runs late into the night during Ramadan". Arab News. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  65. ^ Release, Press (16 October 2023). "Lyari kids impress at 'Inclusion in Football Tournament'". Brecorder. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  66. ^ Adil, Hafsa. "From gang wars and drug lords to football fields". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  67. ^ Jaffri, Syed Ahsan Ali (7 December 2022). "WATCH: Brazilian TV channel covers football craze in Lyari". ASports.tv. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  68. ^ "Pakistan Sports Board, Islamabad".
  69. ^ "PFF faces dilemma over venue selection for SAFF contest". DAWN.COM. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2024.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Association football in Pakistan.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=Football_in_Pakistan&oldid=1263146038#History"