PROFILE : Zabe Khan’s drive keeps him going [DAWN]

PROFILE : Zabe Khan’s drive keeps him going [DAWN]

By Umaid Wasim – DAWN

KARACHI: For many, he’s one of the most visionary people in Pakistan football. But Zabe Khan’s vision to see K-Electric top of the pile in Pakistan was driven by a never-ending determination to succeed.

“The desire to win kept us going really,” Zabe told Dawn after K-Electric won their maiden Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) title on Friday, ending five years of heartbreak for their Sports chief in which he’d seen his side go incredibly close but end empty-handed.

After the loss in the National Challenge Cup final last year — their fourth in succession, Zabe cut a disconsolate figure claiming that his side were “jinxed”.

But he gathered his strength for one last fight, one last battle, hoping he could see his side finally win the country’s top footballing prize having ended runners-up in each of the last two seasons.

“We kept backing ourselves hoping year after year, season after season that our time will come,” Zabe said. “I think this year was the perfect time for us to go from being nearly men to title winners.”

It’s been an incredible ride for Zabe since he took over at the helm in the 2010.

A year before he came, K-Electric broke the bank to sign the top players in the country including then-Pakistan captain Mohammad Essa, Mohammad Rasool, Wali Khan, Aurangzeb and Abdul Rehman.

Despite the star power, it was a disastrous season for them as they finished a lowly eighth. Enter Zabe.

“When I arrived, I came with a mission to take K-Electric to the top,” he recalled. “A season earlier we’d invested on top players and thought it would be easy to win it all but we realised it isn’t a walk in the park.”

Zabe quickly addressed the matters, not only on the pitch but also off it. Almost always seen on the bench at K-Electric’s matches sporting a baseball cap, he also helped arrange good kits for his side — both for matches and for training.

“I always believe when you have the best equipment on, it helps your confidence,” Zabe said. It certainly did help as in his first year, K-Electric improved dramatically to finish fourth.

And he came close to delivering their first title the very next when they reached the final of the 2011 Challenge Cup, only to lose to Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) — a side who would prove to be their nemesis for the next four years to come.

But improvement didn’t come in the league the following season as they failed to improve on their fourth place, instead finishing fifth. “We realised that buying the best talent wouldn’t help us win,” Zabe said. “We needed to build a team which takes time.”

KRL would then heap further misery on K-Electric in the 2012 Challenge Cup final, this time beating them in a tense penalty shootout before winning the title ahead of them the next season.

In 2013, K-Electric reached the Challenge Cup final for a third year in a row and although KRL weren’t in the final this time, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) beat them this time around.

For the 2013-14 PPFL season, Zabe and K-Electric looked towards foreign help to end their quest for silverware.

In came Nigerian striker Oludeyi Abayomi Sunday and although he sparkled, they finished second-best to a rampant KRL side which picked their third title in a row although it was sign of improvement for them as they took the title race to final few games of the season.

“Sunday’s impact was good on the team but we knew we had to find extra edge to our game,” Zabe, who endured further Challenge Cup final heartbreak last year when they lost to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in extra-time.

They decided to bring in Sunday’s compatriot Wilson. “Wilson’s arrival was key to us winning the title this season,” Zabe reckoned. “His presence in midfield allowed players like [Mohammad] Essa and [Mohammad] Rasool to express themselves more.

“I’m really indebted to the K-Electric higher management in providing us with the resources and support to sign foreign players because without that, it wouldn’t have been possible to become national champions.”

But the season, with their arch-rivals KRL weakened by departures of several key players, didn’t start according to plan. Having collected just five points from their first five games, they travelled to KRL in November with their title aspirations severely hit.

But a 3-2 win at the Jinnah Stadium turned the corner for them.

“I think it was the turning point of the season for us,” Zabe recalled. “Beating them gave us the confidence which saw us win 13 of our next 14 matches en route to winning the title.”

Victory means K-Electric will now enter the play-off round of the AFC Cup in May. “We hope to perform well on the continental level and of course we’ll look at strengthening the side but first of all, I’d like to win the Challenge Cup [in April] and get it out of our way.”

The drive which keeps Zabe going might as well see his team end their jinx.

Published in Dawn January 10th , 2014

f several key players, didn’t start according to plan. Having collected just five points from their first five games, they travelled to KRL in November with their title aspirations severely hit.

But a 3-2 win at the Jinnah Stadium turned the corner for them.

“I think it was the turning point of the season for us,” Zabe recalled. “Beating them gave us the confidence which saw us win 13 of our next 14 matches en route to winning the title.”

Victory means K-Electric will now enter the play-off round of the AFC Cup in May. “We hope to perform well on the continental level and of course we’ll look at strengthening the side but first of all, I’d like to win the Challenge Cup [in April] and get it out of our way.”

The drive which keeps Zabe going might as well see his team end their jinx.

Published in Dawn January 10th , 2014