POPO FC
 | |||
| Full name | POPO Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short name | PFC | ||
| Founded | 2012 | ||
| Chairman | Haris Haroon | ||
| Coach | Shahzad Anwar | ||
| |||
POPO Football Club is a Pakistani professional football club based in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Primarily focused on grassroots football development and consisting of several youth teams, the club is often regarded as one of the most successful football academies in the country.[1][2]
History
[edit]The club was founded in 2012 by a lecturer at Islamic University’s business programme Haris Haroon. The club was named after his nickname given to him by his students during his tutoring days. Initially the team took part in various local tournaments in Islamabad, but later on settled up an academy for young players.[1][3]
The club produced a number of players for both the Pakistan U-19 and U-16 teams, for the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualification and the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship qualification respectively in 2019. The club subsequently hired Pakistan's first AFC Pro License holding coach Shahzad Anwar.[1]
POPO made his professional debut in the 2020 PFF National Challenge Cup. The club impressed as a youth club, winning by 2–1 against Saif Tex in their first match. The club exited the tournament finishing third in the group stage.
In 2022, the club developed a partnership with Futebol Clube SKA Brasil, where two of the players from the squad, Waleed Khan and Mohammad Rizwan joined the under 20 side of the Brazilian club on a temporary basis along with the coach Shahzad Anwar.[1][4][5][6]
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]- As of 1 December 2023[7]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
[edit]The players below had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed, represented their countries before or after playing for POPO FC.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Sohail, Shahrukh (6 February 2022). "FOOTBALL: THE DREAMS OF POPO FC". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ Ahmed, Zara. "The 'Queen' of the field". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (19 June 2015). "International organisation plans to develop football in Pakistan". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Former Pak football coach to join Brazilian club". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Shehzad to coach Brazilian football club". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Goalie Basit inks deal with football club in Maldives". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Instagram". Retrieved 1 December 2023.
External links
[edit]- POPO FC at Global Sports Archive
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