Ali Nawaz Baloch

Ali Nawaz Baloch PP (; 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.

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.

In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Nawaz was honored with the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan in 1995.

Early life

Nawaz was born in Lyari on 3 July 1949.

Club career

Nawaz started playing football since young. The school he attended, the ''Jamia Islamia Khadda Haji Sir Abdullah Haroon School'', catered specially to aspiring footballers. 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. He also played for Baldia Karachi during the DFA League in 1966.

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. The following year, in the 18th National Championship held in Lahore, Nawaz helped the Karachi getting the second position.

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. The feat earned him the name of 'Goal-making machine'. In the Dhaka First Division League, he scored 45 goals in 19 matches, finishing as top scorer in 1969.

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. Subsequently, Nawaz moved to the United Arab Emirates, where he featured for Emirates Club in the mid-1970s. 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. Nawaz played for the Abu Dhabi based club for five years. He emerged as the top-scorer of the 1975–76 UAE Football League season with 13 goals. He also played alongside national teammate Ghulam Sarwar at the club.

Nawaz played the last national championship for PIA in 1979, winning the league title five times during his stay at the club. He also played for local Karachi club Meher Sports FC during the 1970s.

International career

Nawaz represented Pakistan from 1967 to 1974. 10 March 1969, he scored his first international goal in a 2–1 victory against Iraq, at the 1969 Friendship Cup held in Iran. During the 1969 RCD Cup held the same year, he scored a goal in a 2–4 defeat against Turkey.

He captained the national team at the 1974 RCD Cup. 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.

Coaching career

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. He served as a coach in the United Arab Emirates for five years. Nawaz also took the Pakistan youth football team to UAE in 1993. In 2001, he was member of the coaching staff during the tour of the Pakistan national team to England.

Personal life

Nawaz's uncle, Dad Muhammad, played as a striker. Nawaz's brother Abdullah Akbar also played alongside him in the Pakistan national football team, as well in PIA and EPIDC, while his older brother Ismail Roshoon played for the national team in the 1950s. His uncle, Amin Baloch, was a prominent footballer in the Dhaka League, and served as assistant coach of the Pakistan national team at the 1993 South Asian Games.

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. 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.

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. He also served as the member of AFC Expert Committee from 1990 till 1993.

Nawaz was awarded the Pride of Performance Award from the Pakistan government in 1995, due to his contributions to the sport.

In his honour, the D Chaudhary Road in Lyari where the house in which Baloch was born, was renamed as Ali Nawaz Baloch Road on 4 August 2008.

Nawaz received the AFC Distinguished Service Award in 2013, which was presented by FIFA President Sepp Blatter and AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
He also served as member of the Sindh Football Association, and as match commissioner of the Pakistan Premier League in his late years.

On 28 June 2013, Nawaz's nephew Saqib Baloch who was a practising boxer was killed in Lyari, allegedly by the Pakistan Rangers.

Death

Nawaz died on 28 October 2022 in Karachi. He had been in hospital for the past several days after suffering a brain haemorrhage. 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.

Career statistics

International goals

:''Scores and results list Pakistan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nawaz goal.''

Honours

;Mohammedan SC (Dhaka)
* Dhaka First Division League (1): 1969
;EPIDC
* Dhaka First Division League (1): 1970
Individual

* 1969 − Most goals in Dhaka First Division League: 45 (with Dhaka Mohammedan)

*UAE Football League top scorer: 1975–76
*Pride of Performance Award: 1995

See also

* List of Pakistan national football team captains

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nawaz Baloch, Ali
1949 births
2022 deaths
Pakistani men's footballers
Pakistan men's international footballers
Footballers from Karachi
People from Lyari Town
Pakistan International Airlines FC players
Mohammedan SC (Dhaka) players
Team BJMC players
UAE Pro League players
Men's association football forwards
Pakistani expatriate men's footballers
Pakistani expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates
Recipients of the Pride of Performance
Footballers at the 1974 Asian Games
Asian Games footballers for Pakistan
20th-century Pakistani sportsmen