Bend it like ... Babar?

Author: Waqas Naeem

Published: August 26, 2012

Originally Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, August 26^th, 2012. (http://tribune.com.pk/story/424258/bend-it-like-babar/)

When you put Pakistan and football in the same sentence, you invariably think of either Lyari (the home of footballers) or Sialkot (the home of footballs). But there is a whole new generation that’s now all kleated up and ready to go

Ammar Zaheer hurriedly puts on his football shoes and rushes on to the pitch to replace a teammate who’s clearly struggling under the sun. It’s a scorching 43 degrees in Islamabad and the heat crashes upon the small football ground in sector F-6 in an invisible torrent of hot air.

A few minutes later, he leaves his defensive position and moves forward into the opposing box. As the ball flies over the small crowd of players huddled in front of the goal, he ducks slightly to time his jump, then rises in the air from the left and heads the ball towards the goal. From six yards in, the keeper barely has time to react as the ball zooms past him and hits home. A brief celebration follows, and Zaheer runs back, shouting orders to his players to reorganise quickly.

Zaheer is the captain of Red Devils FC — a team he formed with his cousins and friends in 2003. He takes on the mantle of captain after his hours from work as senior executive at Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Limited.

Zaheer and his teammates are prime examples of a subculture of amateur football players that has developed in some of the larger cities of Pakistan in recent years. From Karachi to Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, these hobbyist footballers are either students at private educational institutions or young professionals belonging to the upper middle class, and they religiously take time out to play club football.

“Back when we started in 2003, there would be one tournament every three or four months,” Zaheer says. “Nowadays there are so many tournaments that we have to choose which ones to play and which ones to leave.”

It’s no idle boast. Zaheer’s Red Devils played 16 tournaments in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in 2011 — all privately organised — of which they won seven. The prize money of a big tournament, typically between Rs18,000 and Rs25,000, is an added incentive for amateur teams that usually pay Rs2,000 to 4,000 as entry fees.

Schools are becoming important breeding grounds for aspiring football players and have teams regularly competing at inter-school tournaments. Daniyal Naeem, a 17-year-old A-levels student in Karachi, was only in the 8th grade when he formed a football team named CF Blitz with his school fellows. Naeem recalls that they weren’t really good in the beginning, but like all amateur footballers in Pakistan, they had no recourse but to rigorously practise by themselves to improve their game.

And like Naeem, 19-year-old Ans Khan also developed an interest in football in school when he was in the 4th grade and his school team competed in an annual football tournament held at the Hamdard Public School in Karachi. After finishing school, he formed his own team called FC Strikers with neighbourhood kids in Karimabad, Federal B Area.

“Football has really picked up among youngsters in recent years because people have had more exposure to the sport on television than ever before,” says Khan.

Before 1999, Pakistan Television was the only source for Pakistanis to watch international football competitions. Then the satellite dish service arrived and became the avenue for local audiences to watch foreign television channels. But foreign channels truly became ubiquitous when cable was introduced in Pakistan. Television cable would show specialised sports channels that broadcast European domestic leagues, especially the English Premier League on weekends and the Spanish La Liga late at night.

But where talent and interest in football are surging, there are not enough opportunities to match up with them.

“Pindi has a lot of football players, but we don’t have proper facilities,” laments Umair Tariq, a 22-year-old Mass Communications student at the National University of Sciences & Technology and a member of their football team.

There are three grounds in the city that are used for football, but locals mostly travel to Islamabad to play seven-a-side matches at the small but popular F-6 football ground. Teams pay Rs1,500 for 90 minutes and Rs2,500 if they play under lights at the facility run by the Capital Development Authority.

Hussain Ali, a groundskeeper who managed the facility as a private contractor until the CDA took over a year ago, says the ground hosts around 20 matches per week and generates a monthly revenue of around Rs100,000.

The average ground in Karachi also costs around Rs1,000 per game and the price goes up for grounds with better facilities.

Luckily for the sport, corporations are now cashing in on the growing popularity of football. Brand names have attached themselves to local football teams and are also sponsoring events, such as the 2o12 Zong United Kickoff Tournament, in which 32 kids won a chance to go to the Manchester United soccer school in Abu Dhabi for a five-day training programme, and the Pepsi football tournament simultaneously launched in three cities in June.

While club football has gained traction among urban, upper class youth, and stirred the interest of corporate bigwigs, football continues to be a poor man’s sport to a large extent. The divide between amateur and professional football in Pakistan seems to be drawn along class lines. The rich are playing the game for leisure, and the poor are struggling to get a decent future through football.

For this reason, skeptics continue to doubt any major breakthrough in domestic or national level football.

Riaz Ahmed, an administrator at Karachi United Football Foundation, says amateur footballers would never focus on making football their career because they are deterred by factors such as parental pressure, economic uncertainty, politics and nepotism in the existing system, and thus only play for enjoyment. This will do nothing for Pakistan’s domestic or national football scene, he says.

Even Muhammad Zaman, president of the Mehran football club — a registered professional club that plays in the official Islamabad district football league, asserts that amateur players commit themselves only part time, and eventually go abroad to study or get more lucrative jobs. “Parents are okay if their kids play sports for fun, but if kids get more interested in football, they step in saying it will interfere with their studies,” he says.

And when it’s difficult to eke out a living playing football, with professional club-level players getting paid as little as Rs1,000 per match and department football paying Rs20,000 in monthly salary, it’s hard to convince the parents otherwise.

It is no wonder then that most full-time players in this country are people from lower-income backgrounds, who are looking to secure a stable income and job security through employment as department footballers, says Ali Ahsan, chief editor of FootballPakistan.com, a website that is easily the most comprehensive resource for football news in the country.

Departments, such as Wapda, Army, KRL and Karachi Port Trust, have sizable sports budgets and offer match fees for tournaments and permanent jobs to football players, who are picked up from professional football clubs. Departments dominate professional football in Pakistan; 11 of the 16 teams that participated in the 2011 Pakistan Premier League were department teams. But not every club player makes the cut, because so many are vying for stable income and the job security it offers. Those who fail to make it to the department level, like Sabir Hussain, are left to find other sources of income.

Hussain almost got commissioned in the Army on a football quota in the ‘90s, but the deal went kaput in the final stages. Hussain now runs a garments shop in Rawalpindi’s Saddar market. But he has clung on to his passion for football as he sells football jerseys now, which go for Rs700 to Rs1,200 apiece. In the five years since he started selling football jerseys, he says he has sold 400 to 500 shirts every year — testimony to the growing popularity of football in Pakistan.

To give the sport a real boost, civil society has launched initiatives aimed at promoting football talent at the grassroots level. The Karachi United Football Foundation, a nonprofit entity, runs six centres in Karachi that provide football training to under-14 players.

“The idea is that if kids from underdeveloped areas get a chance to focus on football as a profession and undergo training, they can improve their future,” says Riaz.

These training centres also provide education support, vocational training and health awareness, in case these children do not go on to become professional footballers.

The foundation’s attempts are certainly noble, but they miss out on the talent in the amateur football circuit. FootballPakistan.com’s Ahsan insists reforms at the professional level might change that situation.

“Football needs to move away from departments to city-based teams,” he says. “We need to have public-corporate partnerships and media involvement in the domestic game to bring money, transparency, and coverage to football.” Only then will people from well-off backgrounds start taking football seriously.

Red Devils F.C triumph in the Indoor Night Ramadan Futsal Tournament

Omer Mashood's brace helps the Devils thrash PAF 4 - 0 in the final to bag yet another tournament for the boys in red.

Football in the city of Islamabad really picked up during the second week of Ramadan, and Red Devils F.C found themselves encountering a demanding schedule. The team benefitted from the return of a few renowned members over the summer, and entered the 'Indoor Night Ramzan Futsal ' with a strong squad. However, they suffered their first setback even before a ball was kicked. A strange flu virus, which had originated from Ahmed Saqlain Bhatti, spread through the squad. This resulted in the team's all time leading goal scorer, Harris Qamar, being only 50 percent fit for the first game, while key player and defender, Usman Mashood, had to completely miss out the opener. The Red Devils also entered the competition without a recognized goalkeeper.

On August 9, 2012, the Red Devils kicked off the tournament against Dagger F.C. Since the tournament followed a knockout format, there was absolutely no room for error. The Red Devils backline had a very makeshift look to it, with all three players not playing in their natural positions. The defense consisted of the summer returnees, Saqib Akbar and Haaris Ghafoor, while the unfit Harris Qamar volunteered to play in goal. Omer Mashood and Muhammad Ayaz Mahmood made up a potent strike force.  Faizan Sameer Janu was the only substitute for the game. The devils played some wonderful football, strung move after move, and hardly let the opposition near goal. The main advantage proved to be the fact that the Red Devils constantly had five players very comfortable on the ball, which helped them build every move from the back. Yet, they missed chance after chance, with Omer and Ayaz being prime culprits. Harris Qamar joined the attack in the second half as Omer went into goal; however, the game maintained a similar pattern and ended up being an unpredictably exciting affair. After missing many chances himself, Harris got on the score sheet. The flood gates were expected to open after that, but Saqib misjudged a hopeful long ball from the opposition and the Dagger F.C. striker headed in to equalize. More unexpected events followed with Dagger F.C. taking the lead. The goal came under slightly controversial circumstances, as stand-in keeper Omer Mashood claimed that the whistle had not yet gone for the opposition kick-in; through which they scored. Few of his teammates supported the claim, however the goal stood. Red Devils had completely dominated the game, but were now facing the possibility of an early exit. Janu also made a great impact from the bench, yet the finishing remained dreadful. When the time came, Ayaz finally delivered with a timely goal. However, the Red Devils conceded another soft goal from a corner due to non-existent marking, only to have their blushes saved by Ayaz once again. The thrilling encounter ended 3-3, and the dreaded penalty shootout was going to decide the winner. Janu, who himself had a very fine game from the bench expertly slotted in the first penalty. Dagger F.C replied with a successful penalty. Haaris Ghafoor stepped up next and converted. Stand-in keeper for the second half and the penalty shootout, Omer Mashood, finally made a telling contribution in an unexpected manner by saving the second penalty. The stage was set for Ayaz to win the game from the spot; and he duly delivered with a very well placed penalty. Ayaz, who had been absent lately citing Ghazal practice as a reason, showed once again how lethal he can be in the indoor format of the game. The Red Devils F.C. literally had uncountable shots on goal and the lion's share of possession, and should have won the game convincingly in normal time.

Faizan Sameer Janu in action on Home Turf

The next round saw the Red Devil face the Galacticos. Haaris Ghafoor became the latest victim of the 'Bhatti bug', and did not consider himself fit to start. However, on a more positive note, Usman Mashood and Harris Qamar were back to full fitness. This resulted in the misfiring yet penalty shootout savior, Omer Mashood, starting in goal. Usman took his place alongside Saqib in defense, while Harris partnered Ayaz in attack. The Galacticos proved to be tougher opposition initially, showcasing good skill on the ball and effective short passing. However, the Red Devils seemed to have learnt from the past game and the presence of Usman in defense brought back some much needed solidity. The Devils themselves eventually got into the groove and put together some very attractive moves. However, there was a similar theme to the game as the buildup play from back to front was impeccable, yet the finishing was found wanting; as Ayaz and Harris spurned a few chances. It took a clever sliding finish from the inspirational Usman Mashood to break the deadlock. From there on, Harris eventually managed to find his shooting range and completely destroyed the opposition. His goals flattened the opposition. The arrival of Janu into the game added further zip to the attack as he himself managed to get on the score sheet, and found himself at the heart of most moves. Saqib and Usman remained solid in defense and expertly passed the ball from the back. The night however belonged to Harris, who bagged an incredible four goals for the night. He beat the opposition goalkeeper from all angles and finally decided to stop inflicting misery on them by substituting himself in the last few minutes of the game. Furthermore, the Red Devils kept their first clean sheet of the tournament.

The tournament threw in some its own share of added drama for the next round, as the Red Devils got drawn against rivals, and very noisy neighbors, USGC. Red Devils F.C. had to say goodbye to one of their pioneering members, Saqib Akbar, for the summer. He had been an integral part of the team for this tournament. However, the timely recovery of Haaris Ghafoor made for a very impressive starting lineup. Another very pleasant and timely entry to the team came in the form of goalkeeper and new signing Saud Abbas. His presence had been eagerly awaited for a while, and the Red Devils were more than happy for him to make his debut at such a crucial stage of the tournament. As history has shown, the farther the Red Devils reach in a tournament, the more dangerous they become. And with the added element of playing against a rival, The Red Devils came to the party in style and put on an absolutely mesmerizing display. Just when one thought that Harris Qamar could not top his previous display, he tormented the opposition with another four goals. Faizan Sameer Janu, who had not failed to make an impact in any previous game of the competition, came on with devastating effect as well and bagged a hat-trick of his own, silencing some noisy boys with a cool 'index finger on the lips' celebration. That was not all, Ayaz Mahmood also put on his own show with an expertly taken brace. The match ended with a devastating score line of 9-3 to the Red Devils. The defense again proved to be solid when required, and the buildup play from the back to front was a joy to behold. USGC wished they had stayed home for this one, as they proved to be completely helpless and simply inferior to the sheer quality of the Red Devils' overall play.

New boy, Saud, makes an instant impact

The night of August 13, 2012, promised to be an exhilarating and dramatic one as the semi finals and final were scheduled for the same night. In the semi final, Red Devils F.C. faced their toughest challenge yet, in the form of SOF. For the first time in the tournament, the Red Devils started with the exact same line up as the previous game. This was one game, in which every Red Devils F.C. participant became even more thankful of the fact that Saud turned up for the tournament. Although Devils had the lion share of the possession, they were constantly hit by smart counter attacks by SOF and stayed in the game only due to some brilliant saves made by Saud. The game remained a very tight affair as both teams tried hard to break the deadlock. Omer Mashood, who also benefitted from Saud's arrival in the way that he could finally play in attack, made his mark on the tournament in thrilling fashion. It was only late in the second half, when the Red Devils struck the first blow through a goal by the goal scoring machine, Harris Qamar. The team gained momentum after that as Omer showed his trademark dynamism from the bench and secured a second goal. The opposition finally crumbled after that and conceded an own goal late on to give the Red Devils a 3-0 win. However, the win was hardly as convincing as the score suggested and the Red Devils were saved numerous times by their heroic goalkeeper.

Team Red Devils F.C

The final saw Red Devils F.C facing PAF. The devils had been impressive in all departments during the course of the tournament, and as a result, confidence was very high prior to the final. This was evident as they started the game in ascendancy and created great chances straight away. However, the game took a similar pattern as the first few games, as the team passed the ball around brilliantly, yet the finishing touch was lacking. Janu and Harris were guilty of missing quite a few opportunities in the first half. The pairing of Usman Mashood and Haaris Ghafoor flourished once again, as they not only defended well but also distributed the ball impeccably from the back. Things drastically changed with the introduction of Omer Mashood and Ayaz late in the first half though and the two combined to score a goal each inside two minutes to help the Devils take a two goal lead at the break. This proved to be a very dampening blow for the opposition and they never really managed to get back into the game. After the break Harris Qamar tripled the lead with a very finely taken goal. Arguably, the player of the day, Omer Mashood, completed the route with a brilliant fourth, and his second of the game. Saud, Usman and Haaris kept another brilliant clean sheet as Devils became the only team to keep three clean sheets in the tournament.

Perfect depiction of attack and defence doing their jobs

The Devils have been enjoying yet another successful summer and continue to stamp their authority across Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The victory proved to be extra special for Faizan Sameer Janu, as it came on his home turf. As it is the case with almost every tournament the Red Devils manage to win, Harris Qamar finished as the team's and competition's top scorer with 11 goals. However, he was very aptly supported by Ayaz, Janu, and Omer Mashood in the goal scoring department. It was also a fairytale beginning to Saud's tenure as he ended up playing such a big and successful role in such a short period of time to help the team win the cup. He also proved how beneficial it is to have a specialist goalkeeper for a tournament. Haaris Ghafoor, Usman Mashood, and Saqib Akbar made up a very solid backbone for the team and proved to be very impressive with their defending and passing. Apart from the cash prize, the Red Devils also won a pack of 'Red Bull', and according to latest reports, most players fought personal battles against insomnia for days after the Final night.

Red Devils boast a pack of Red Bull and 20,000 prize money

New Club Kits Unveiled

Red Devils F.C in collaboration with Official Kit Partners JAWZ Sports finally came out with the long awaited club kits in the month of July. The kit design has received wide appreciation among the football fraternity of twin cities with the Devils boasting the spectacular Deep Red coloured shirts with the official club logo on the chest. Rumours are that the Devils will be coming up with an away kit shortly too, so stay tuned for that, but for now we share some of the pictures from the Official Kit Unveiling Match played at F-6 Multi-purpose Complex.

Front side of the Shirt

Back Side of the Shirt

Omer, Faizan and Usman

The Deadly Mashoods

The Philanthropist

 

The Boys

The Pindi Boys

The Number 7's

The Legends

Team Red Devils F.C

One Team, One Love, One Red Devils F.C

IT'S IN THE BLOOD

Red Devils F.C's Muhammad Mateen Mahmood writes what all his Devil team mates and most certainly all football fanatics feel about this beautiful game called Football

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If born in the cities of Europe, grown in the culture of local madness, witnessed your cousin’s fight as homegrown hooligans, wore the fan’s kit since childhood, travelled with parents to the club’s gallery, danced on the beats of local rhymes, watched every match in home stadium, drank after every home win, followed every act of the local heroes, in short spent a life as a Football Fan; then, it sounds patriotic and the idea looks impressive.

But, being born in the civic of Pakistan, yes grown in the culture of local madness, only witnessed your cousins fighting with each other, travelled with parents to nothing other than school, never knew what Club Football was, only knowing the concept of Cricket, never drank as being a Muslim, not knowing what being a fan is; and still spending more than half of life watching club football, living with a desire to be a club hooligan, having an objective of visiting the clubs academy, buying every single kit released, always singing the clubs songs, watching clashes having Barbican or Mountain Dew bottles to have the feeling of holding a Beer, following every act of every renowned player, in short living Football; what on earth one will call this, like seriously ??

From David Beckham’s Free kick to his hairstyle; From Roy Keane’s tackling to the way he fights; From Eric Cantona’s finishing to his pride; From Ronaldo’s dribbling to his wife: followed everything. From my own room to the canteen at school; from the streets of Islamabad to the house full at Cinepex: followed everywhere. From the holidays in summer till the papers in spring; from the lunch time kick off to the midweeks special: followed every time. Why??

I have no reason of doing it why, but I can surely describe how it feels like. I can’t argue on why this madness but I can surely pay to earn more of this. I can’t find a clue how it all started but now I can give many reasons why it should last!

Once I was being interviewed, when one of the interviewers asked “You have listed football in almost every column possible, so you play football or what? And I reflexively replied “Mam, I play football, I watch football, I follow football, and I live football”. And after the interview I pondered upon that answer and now that is my tagline.

I attribute all fanaticism to biological disorders. Why would crocodile dundees play with dangerous reptiles, why can’t an artist find life besides canvas, what makes a stamp collector devote his whole life gathering just a cut of paper, what makes men want to swim with great white sharks except for the face that something really went wrong somewhere. In my case, I don’t know if something went wrong with the Red Blood Cells or that some footballing fluid got mixed with the hemoglobin or what; but I can doubtlessly say:

FOOTBALL ~ IT’S IN THE BLOOD

Credits: Article Originally posted by Mateen on his blog tripple~em/_ (http://teeno3m.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/it’s-in-the-blood/)

Squad Analysis - Suzuki Swift Islamabad Soccer Cup 2012

There were many stand out performers for the Red Devils in this tournament, however, true success has always come their way whenever they have managed to play well as a team. One must give credit to all the squad players, as the team's strength in depth proved to be crucial.

Champions Red Devils F.C

Despite not being a regular starter, Zaki Ahmed played a part in every game from the bench and often gave the team a boost with his all round play. The strength while on the ball, deft touch and a powerful shot often cause opponents trouble. Zaki was instrumental in changing the pace and nature of the Devils game whenever the chips were down and his impact in the all-important group game against Piranhas was massive.

Ecstatic Zaki

Abbas Taqi often added stability to the midfield and could always be called upon the play the role of a defensive midfielder with great discipline. Muawia Khan, a bit of an unsung hero of the final, injected incredible energy into the team, and chipped in with vital goals in the most crucial games. His calmness on the ball in the final stood out; however, the jumping ability he showed for his headers has to be his highlight of the tournament. Umair Iftikhar aka Buntu had a bit of a shaky start to the tournament, but always gave his all in defense. Buntu was one-third of the great wall of Red Devils F.C in the tournament that saw Devils keep three clean sheets in knockout stages. He also gave the team an option of calling upon a trusty defender from the bench while closing out games.

Super-sub Muawia Khan

The starting line up from the knockout stages took the tournament by storm. Bilal Liaqat proved himself to be a key man in the tournament. He proved to be a very tough target to beat in between the sticks and often saved the defenders' blushes. He almost made a memorable save per game; however, his distribution from the back was far superior to any other keeper and made him completely stand out. He also received the official 'Goalkeeper of the tournament’ award. Musti was not playing up to his very high standards during the beginning of the tournament, but that quickly changed. The more crucial the games became, the more reliable Musti's defending became, and often playing as the last man back, he proved to be a rock at the back. By the end of the tournament he once again proved to his critics that he is still one of the best defenders around.

The ever-reliable Prince of Hunza

Musti's eventual partner in defense, Usman Mashood, made a colossal mark on the tournament. His endless running, chasing, harrying and tackling of opposition players, lung busting forward runs, and skills make him a teammate's dream. He made countless tackles and interceptions, scored a crucial goal, and contributed very effectively in attack; however, his highlight of the tournament has to be the fact that he once made up ground so quickly to make a contribution in attack that he actually had time to call out a teammate's full name, twice. He sprinted down the left wing, and while running, raised his hand and shouted, "Haaris Ghafoor, Haaris Ghafoor!!" I guess that also says a lot about Haaris Ghafoor's playing style. Usman was the managers' pick for the player of the tournament.

The man with 4 lungs, Usman Mashood

Moving on to the midfield, the Red Devils had a lot of options in this department. Everyone's favorite, Haaris Ghafoor had yet another impressive tournament. His best performances came in the knockout stages when he dropped deeper and got more time to play his killer passes. Apart from his trademark elegant touches and brilliant passing, his positional sense was remarkable. He often had to drop back and used to find himself in the sweeper position; yet he defended very effectively, made many interceptions and used his height well to counter the opposition's aerial threat. He claims that he had a personal best when it comes to the number of assists in a single tournament. However, that cannot be confirmed since the information arrived through one his random tweets. He could have his own highlight reel for the tournament. One has to be his surreal sprint to chase down and defend Niazi, a very speedy Thudda United striker. I literally had to rub my eyes to believe that one. The second has to be the fact that one of his many fans called his name in the middle of the semifinal, while the ball was still in play, just so that he could wave to his idol, and get a smile back. The fan got his wish. Haaris also won the official 'Player of the Tournament' award.

Bilal Liaqat and Haaris Ghafoor

The new captain of the team, Sameer Hussain, found himself playing a bit of an unfamiliar role, as he often used to be the sole figure in between a defensive mid and two very attack minded players. His form fluctuated frequently in the tournament, and often started games slowly. However, just like the team, he became better as the tournament went on. Moreover, he showed further signs of settling into the role as captain. He remains an ultimate team player and an integral part of the Red Devils. He faced a lot of hardships during the final; his highlights consist of that Maradona like run he made during the last few minutes of the final, and the Roy Keane like header from the corner, which unfortunately hit the bar.

The man who led the Devils to victory

The attacking combination of Omer Mashood and Harris Qamar was a nightmare for every defense in the cup. Omer Mashood's instant ability to make an impact in a match was unprecedented. He was always a nightmare for the defenders with his direct running, no look passing (when it came off at least), and his uncanny ability to always find space in between defenders. It was no surprise that he ended up with his fair share of goals in the tournament. His highlight of the tournament was when he came off the bench in the last group game to score with one of his first few touches against the so called 'unbeatable' keeper. Harris Qamar is the most experienced regular starter in the team. He once again proved himself to be a reliable goal scorer. His incredible hunger and ability always ensures that once he gets on the score sheet, he hardly finishes the game with only one goal. He scored all sorts of goals in the tournament and maintained his amazing record of scoring in finals. Furthermore, he seems to thrive in the biggest games and scored one of the goals of the tournament in the final. Despite now having a reputation of being singled out by opposition defenders, his ability to beat a man and score still makes him the club's most lethal striker. Needless to say, he is the Red Devils' all-time leading scorer (no stats available on that). Like always, he provided us with many personal highlights in this tournament. His reaction to getting substituted cannot only be regarded as a highlight just for this tournament, but more of a career highlight. Scoring from a penalty kick can also be considered one. However, his biggest highlight in my opinion was the fact that he actually let someone else take a free kick in the final.

The Dynamic Duo of Harris Qamar and Omer Mashood

Last but definitely not the least, no words can describe the amount of credit which goes the think tank of the team. The Red Devils would not have won this tournament without the leadership, management, tactical astuteness, and sheer presence of Ammar Zaheer and Saqib Akbar.

Finally, the Think tank

Red Devils F.C Reign Supreme in the Capital

Beat BMI 4 – 2 in the final of the Suzuki Swift Islamabad Soccer Cup 2012 to take the honours.

On July 12, 2012, the Red Devils lined up for their date with destiny in the final of the Suzuki Swift Cup in Islamabad. This final was very significant for the Devils for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they have enhanced their reputation so much over the last few years, that they now have a lot of hype surrounding them whenever they take part in any tournament in Islamabad or Rawalpindi. As a result, living up to the hype and constantly disproving detractors has become a common challenge. Moreover, despite an impressive trophy count, tournament success at Islamabad's main football venue had surprisingly evaded the Red Devils for over four years. The quest had included four runners up finishes at the very same venue, and numerous losses as a result of penalty shootouts.

Pre Match Rituals for Red Devils F.C

The men in red entered the tournament fresh from the success of winning one of the grandest tournaments in Islamabad's history to date, the 'Pepsi Cup 2012'. Sameer Hussain continued to lead the team on the pitch in Ammar Zaheer's absence. Instead, of entering the tournament on a high, the Red Devils seemed to be suffering a hangover from the success of the Pepsi Cup, and gave very lackluster performances; even losing a game in the group stages. The same players looked completely disjointed on the pitch, and were leaking goals because of gaping holes in the defense. When all seemed lost, with the Devils two goals down in the last group game and staring an embarrassing elimination in the face, an absolutely key decision made by the Red Devils think tank (Saqib Akbar aka Martin O'Neil and Ammar Zaheer aka Rafa Benitez) saw the team make a stunning comeback to scrape through into the knockout stages.

Predictably, for the remainder of the tournament, the Red Devils' think tank decided to start with the lineup which turned around the final group game. This saw the ever dependable Umair Iftikhar being relegated to a role as an impact player off the bench, with the lionhearted Usman Mashood dropping into defense alongside the ever-reliable Mustansir Ali Khan aka Musti; to play in front of their often heroic goalkeeper, Bilal Liaqat. This meant that star player Haaris Ghafoor could drop into his favored position and play as a deep-lying playmaker. He was joined in midfield by the ever present Sameer. That meant that two normally sole strikers in Harris Qamar and Omer Mashood, finally played as a duo; and clicked instantly. Although this move meant more defensive work for the midfielders, it gave the team more zip and potency in attack.

Devils in action

The knockout stages saw a completely different Red Devils side. It showcased them clinch a solid 1-0 win over the Islamabad Saints in the match termed as the 'Holy War'. The only goal of the game was scored by the very lively and dynamic Omer Mashood. The quarter finals saw the Red Devils convincingly beat Dasti Boys 3 - 0. Harris Qamar scored a clinical hat trick and showed that he was coming into his own at exactly the right time. The mouthwatering semi-final line up saw the Red Devils lock horns against the defending champions, Thudda United. What followed was one of the greatest team performances in the history of the Red Devils as they went on to thrash Thudda United 5-0. The deadly duo of Harris Qamar and Omer Mashood expertly exploited the space the opposition left in between their goalkeeper and defense, and ended up with a brace each. Super sub, Muawia Khan also got himself on the score sheet with a fine glancing header. In the words of Ammar Zaheer, "If ever there was a game that had each and every player equally deserving to be the man of the match then this was it". This resulted in the Red Devils setting up an enthralling clash with Beaconhouse Margalla Islamabad (BMI) in the final. BMI were on a dream run of their own. They boasted some of tournament's finest young talent, but were not expected to go all the way. Hence, when they got drawn against many people's favorite to win the tournament, Mehran F.C., hardly anyone gave them a chance. However, in a true David vs. Goliath like battle, BMI gave the most courageous performance of the tournament, and came out on top 2-1.

As a result, both teams entered the final in top form and high spirits. The final attracted a decent amount of supporters from both sides. The Red Devils were spurred on by many members of their roster who weren't taking part in the tournament. They all had to endure a very frustrating start to the much hyped final, as both teams seemed a bit overawed by the occasion. BMI started the better and threatened Bilal's goal twice, hitting the post on one occasion. There was a degree of inevitability about BMI's opener, as hesitancy in the Red Devil's defense allowed BMI's Ali Imran some space, and he duly capitalized by scoring with an impressive left footed volley. Bilal's diving attempt to save the ball went in vain, as the ball was hit across him and skidded into the far corner. The Red Devils think tank and supporters were standing with their head in their hands as they could not believe they were witnessing the same team which just gave arguably their best performance ever only a few days ago. Their team failed to string passes together and to the bewilderment of their managers, kept hitting long balls. Key man, Haaris Ghafoor failed to get into the game. This worrying factor made the managers throw in the sturdy Abbas Taqi in midfield instead of Sameer Hussain, in an attempt to sure up the midfield more and give Haaris more freedom on the ball. It was only in the last five minutes of the first half that they finally came out of their shell, and put together a few decent plays. Never one to be faulted for his commitment and effort, the physically supreme Usman Mashood ventured forward in trademark style for a set piece to score with a header. There was definitely an element of luck in the goal as the ball barely rolled into the net; however, it could not have gone to a more deserving player. The goal just before half time spared the team of getting the hairdryer treatment from Ammar; who by the way was completely dressed for the big occasion. 

Haaris Ghafoor and Mustansir Ali in action during the Final

Ammar and Saqib motivated the team to build upon the closing stages of the first half and take the game more to their opponents. Fortunately for them, the men in red did absolutely that and finally started playing the football everyone associated with the team is used to seeing. Haaris became more and more influential and started spraying the passes. BMI lost all the early momentum and started finding it almost impossible to go past Usman and Musti. Not to be left behind in any way, the Red Devils' all-time leading scorer then produced a moment of magic by scoring with an unstoppable curler from far out. The keeper was left stranded as the ball flew in the top right corner. Super sub Muawia Khan was sent on a few minutes later, and scored with one of his first few touches. The Red Devils earned a free kick within shooting range from a central position, Haaris Ghafoor smashed it towards goal, Muawia find himself in the way of the shot and expertly deflected it into the net. BMI had gotten the stuffing knocked out of them by now; however, UsmanMashood was in no mood to let them breathe. He went on a lung busting run down the right wing, beat his man around the byline area and put in a pin point cross for Harris Qamar to net in his 9th goal of the tournament. Celebrations had already started on the sidelines, and were not deterred by a late goal by BMI. As the final whistle blew, the recent curse of the F-6 ground had finally been broken. BMI had won quite a few fans from this tournament, but it was the mighty Red Devils who went away with the trophy.

Sameer Hussain receives the winners cheque from Chairman CDA

Haaris Ghafoor was declared the player of the tournament for his tireless and inspirational performances for the eventual winners. Bilal Liaqat bagged the best goalkeeper’s award. A summer that looked to head down the unluckiness road has quickly taken a U-turn for the Devils as they have clinched arguably the two most prestigious tournaments in two weeks and this could well be the year during which they cement themselves as the best team in the twin cities.

Champions of Suzuki Swift Islamabad Soccer Cup 2012

Red Devils F.C win the Inaugural Pepsi Cup 2012

The Devils beat Piranhas 3 - 1 in the final to clinch the title and winning prize worth Rs. 1.6 Lakhs.

Sameer Hussain lifts the inaugural Pepsi Cup 2012 for the Devils

The tournament, organized by Metro in association with Pepsi, saw 24 top teams from Rawalpindi and Islamabad battle it out for the major honours. Red Devils F.C fielded two teams for the tournament, Legends and Superstars. The eventual winners, Red Devils F.C Superstars, were placed in the group of death alongside the eventual runners up Piranhas but the team showed great character and willpower to finish top of the Group with 4 wins and a draw from their 5 group games. Legends, on the other hand, won all 5 of their group games to finish top of the group.

The knock-out round of the tournament saw Legends play Piranhas in the match of the quarter finals which the legends lost on penalties after the game finished 2-2 at full time. Superstars, on the other hand, streamed through their Quarter and Semi Final to set up a final clash with Piranhas. The group match between the two had finished 1-1 after the ever inspirational Usman Mashood scored a scorcher from half way line late in the second half to equalize the score and send the Superstars top of the table.

Red Devils F.C Superstars, under the leadership of Sameer Hussain, started the Final on the ascendency with their defender Mateen Mehmood opening the scoring in the very first minute with a brilliant strike from half way line. Midway through the first half, Piranhas equalized through their inspirational playmaker Mustafa. The joy for Piranhas was short lived though as the Devils restored their lead through one of the goals of the tournament. Devils striker Omer Mashood recovered the ball in his own box and went on an inspired run beating two Piranhas players before putting in a perfect through ball for Sameer Hussain to finish. In the second half, the Devils extended their advantage through a brilliant strike by Sameer Hussain. The remainder of the second half saw the Devils defend resiliently to deny the Piranhas strike force of Mustafa, Murtaza and Ahmed any opening.

When the referee blew the final whistle, the Devils had won their first, and arguably the biggest, tournament of the year.

Omer Mashood finished the tournament as the top scorer with 17 goals. A jubilant Sameer Hussain collected the Pepsi Cup 2012 and Rs. 1.6 Lakhs on behalf of his winning team.

Red Devils F.C Superstars - Champions of Pepsi Cup 2012