It’s pretty natural for your mind to jump football when you hear of Lyari, a distinctive part of Karachi known for its love of football. Back when we were growing up, we heard stories of young football players from Lyari being so good they could probably play internationally. Today we see Abdul FC in Karachi, making that dream seem achievable.
Abdul FC is a football club in Karachi that started off as a Futsal team led by Shahzaib Ahmed Khan has now beautifully transitioned into a football team with about 100 players. There is a youth team as well promoting the growth of young local talent!
God knows we need more people to make our urban stars shine! Although our nation’s attention is hogged by Cricket, football has developed a place of its own in our locals’ hearts and rightfully so, as our young boys possess an immense talent for it. Speaking of which, you lot need to get your gear together cuz’ something exciting is coming up!
Abdul FC is currently organizing the biggest Futsal tournament in Pakistan, at Mini Brazil Academy in Lyari. There are 80 teams participating. 55 in-station teams and 25 out-station, from across the country, including Islamabad, Lahore, Hyderabad and even Chitral! The knockouts are scheduled for the 26th and 27th of December.
To showcase the local talent, an exhibition match was organized by the management of Abdul FC, between all-star players of Abdul FC and Pakistan All stars. Current Pakistan team captain Saddam Hussain and ex Pakistan team Captain Kaleem Ullah Khan were a part of the all-stars team.
It was a festive occasion with many people out in attendance to see the match! The players were ecstatic to share the pitch with the national level stars and are hopeful of similar events in the future showcasing the talent which has often been overlooked!
