Karachi United Football Club returned to Karachi after a successful tour to Qatar during which KU Academy played 6 matches against few of the top clubs and Aspire Academy in Doha.
The highlight of the tour was the fixture against Aspire Academy which is considered one of the world’s top schools for sporting excellence in which KU earned a dramatic come from behind 2-2 draw in an action packed match.
Other results included wins against Evolution Soccer (3-2) and Al Jaish (1-0), a 2-2 draw against an Under 16 Al Markhiya and losses against the Under 18 Al Markhiya side (0-2) and Al Sadd (0-5).
Adeel Rizki KU’s Head Coach said “Over the course of the tour we showed great desire and resilience and fought in every match; the results were good but most importantly the boys played an excellent brand of football which represented Pakistan in a positive light”
Of the 5 players selected from the Karachi United Football Foundation (KUFF) Centers of Excellence which caters to under privileged youth across Karachi, coach Arshad Jamal commented: “it was a great experience for these players. KUFF has given these players opportunities that these players could not have imagined and this is what Pakistan needs- to bring change through sport”.
The other 14 players were all members of Karachi United’s reputed Youth Academy. Setup in 2001 to develop talent with players starting as young as 5 years old, KU has made huge strides nurturing players who have represented the club and Pakistan, nationally and internationally. KU hopes that such successes further popularize the sport in Pakistan so more youngsters will start playing the sport.
Karachi United also toured Qatar in 2008 and now in 2011, tour manager Arshian Ali said: “This exposure is extremely important for players to keep increasing the standard of football in Pakistan; we will continue to develop our relationship with the clubs in Qatar and in the future will continue to have such tours”.
Karachi United announced Hassan Saad (vice-captain) as the player of tour who is aged 15 and played every minute of every match. Out of the players selected from KUFF, 13 year old Ali Raza showed great potential after scoring a superb goal against the Aspire Academy.
