The District South Football Championship began with an opening match between DFA South XI and Pakistan Steel, as well as a colourful ceremony at Lyari Football Stadium in Karachi. The DFA South team overcame Pakistan Steel with a narrow 2-1 win to kick start the DFA South Championship. A total of 37 ‘A’ Division clubs from DFA South will take part in this knock-out tournament with a game each day played at Lyari Football Stadium, opposite Lyari General Hospital in Karachi.
DFA South took the lead with a goal from Gul Muhammad in 1st half making it 1-0. In second half, DFA South increased their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Rafique, before Pak Steel managed a consolation goal through Abdul Wahab. At referee Younas Lal’s final whistle, hosts DFA South won the match 2-1 to open the tournament. Assistants were Shaukat Gotai and Farid Ahmed.
The match was attended by the Lyari Town administrator Mr Muhammad Raisi who was chief guest in the opening ceremony. He met both teams at half time and presided over the ceremony. Mr Raisi remarked, “Lyari is world famous in football, and its footballers have helped raised the flag of Pakistan in international football. It will be our utmost effort to revive Lyari’s football glory and ensure a new generation of Captain Umar, Turab Ali, Abdul Ghafoor, Abdullah Rahi, Yousaf Sr., Qadir Bakhsh et al to grace the football pitches and earn praise for not just Lyari but whole of Pakistan in football. We will ensure that the Lyari Football House will have its construction work begin soon, and we will release funds to DFA South to ensure its optimum performance”.
Pakistan Peoples Party representative and ex-international Shahid Rehman also spoke in the ceremony and announced that he will support the DFA South in organising a general football league starting from February 2012 onwards to ensure competitive football in Lyari Town area.
Also present at the occasion were journalist Riaz Ahmed, DFA South president Gulab Baloch, secretary Jan Muhammad, vice presidents Javed Baloch, DFA West president Zafar Iqbal, secretary Rahim Bakhsh, DFA Central vice presidents Saleem Patni, M Shamim, ex internationals Ali Nawaz Baloch, Yousaf Sr., Khumaisa Boss, et al.
