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Ali Nawaz BalochPP (Urdu: علی نواز بلوچ; 3 July 1949 – 28 October 2022) was a Pakistani professional footballer who played as a striker. Renowned for his goal-scoring abilities and hat-tricks, he is widely considered as one of the greatest Pakistani footballers of all time.[1][2][3]
Rising through the ranks from school football, Nawaz represented clubs from Dhaka in East Pakistan and is one of the Pakistani footballers who represented clubs in the United Arab Emirates in the 1970s. He emerged as the top-scorer of the 1975–76 UAE Football League with Emirates SC. He later represented Pakistan Airlines in his later years. Nawaz also served as a coach in the United Arab Emirates for five years. Nawaz represented the Pakistan national football team from 1967 to 1974, captaining the team in the last year.[4]
Nawaz started playing football since young. The school he attended, the Jamia Islamia Khadda Haji Sir Abdullah Haroon School, catered specially to aspiring footballers.[3] He started his career with Lyari based club Baghdad Sports in the regional Karachi First Division Football League in 1964. He represented Karachi Division in the National Football Championship the same year.[8] He also played for Baldia Karachi during the DFA League in 1966.[8]
In 1967, he was called by the Pakistan Airlines departmental team for the National Football Championship. In 1968, when the Karachi divisional team was announced for the 17th National Championship in Jessore, Ali Nawaz was included in it.[9] The following year, in the 18th National Championship held in Lahore, Nawaz helped the Karachi getting the second position.[9]
Nawaz second sitting from left to right with the 1969 unbeaten league champions Dhaka Mohammedan
Nawaz was also revered for his goal-scoring abilities in East Pakistan, where he played for Dhaka Mohammedan during the late 1960s, scoring a triple hat-trick while playing for the club against a Middle-Eastern outfit.[10][11][12] The feat earned him the name of 'Goal-making machine'.[3][13] In the Dhaka First Division League, he scored 45 goals in 19 matches, finishing as top scorer in 1969.[8]
During the 1970s, 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.[14] Subsequently, Nawaz moved to the United Arab Emirates, where he featured for Emirates Club in the mid-1970s.[4][15] In 1975, Nawaz had impressed the chairman of the club, Sheikh Khalifa Al-Awaisi with his game, and after settling all the matters, Nawaz moved to UAE with his son Javed Nawaz, the latter without the necessity of a passport, visa and any government restrictions.[16] Nawaz played for the Abu Dhabi based club for five years.[17][18] He emerged as the top-scorer of the 1975–76 UAE Football League season with 13 goals.[19] He also played alongside national teammate Ghulam Sarwar at the club.[20]
Nawaz played the last national championship for PIA in 1979, winning the league title five times during his stay at the club.[9][21] He also played for local Karachi club Meher Sports FC during the 1970s.[22]
Nawaz represented Pakistan from 1967 to 1974.[17] 10 March 1969, he scored his first international goal in a 2–1 victory against Iraq, at the 1969 Friendship Cup held in Iran.[8] During the 1969 RCD Cup held the same year, he scored a goal in a 2–4 defeat against Turkey.[23][24]
He captained the national team at the 1974 RCD Cup.[25] He last played with the national team at the 1974 Asian Games held in Tehran, in which Pakistan was defeated by Iran and Burma, but won against Bahrain by 5–1 where Nawaz scored two goals.[9]
He began his coaching career in the United Arab Emirates before returning to Pakistan where he was coach and manager of the Pakistan Airlines football team.[4][26] He served as a coach in the United Arab Emirates for five years.[11][17][18] Nawaz also took the Pakistan youth football team to UAE in 1993.[27] In 2001, he was member of the coaching staff during the tour of the Pakistan national team to England.[28][29][30]
During his stay in the United Arab Emirates, Nawaz was offered nationality of the country, which he reportedly turned down. He returned to Karachi in 1980 after coaching in the gulf.[3] He remained vice president of the Pakistan Football Federation for 16 years beginning in 1986 and as manager of sports in Pakistan Airlines football team, also coaching the club.[3][11]
Nawaz has cited Diego Maradona as his idol, and was present in the crowd during the opening match of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, during a match between Argentina against Cameroon.[10] He also served as the member of AFC Expert Committee from 1990 till 1993.[11]
Nawaz died on 28 October 2022 in Karachi. He had been in hospital for the past several days after suffering a brain haemorrhage.[44] The KMC Stadium where Nawaz played often in the 1960s and 1970s while playing for the Pakistan national team and Pakistan Airlines saw a large gathering of former players, coaches, referees and officials in his funeral prayers.[4]
Iraq
Turkey
Bahrain
