FOOTBALL: THE BALL AT HER FEET
Muqaddas Abdul Rasheed in action | Courtesy Kiran Foundation In the crowded streets of Karachiโs old city neighbourhood of Lyari, football has always been more than a game. It lives in the narrow alleys, on dusty grounds and through evening street matches, in which children grow up chasing a ball long before they learn to chase success. For decades, however, that dream largely belonged to boys. Now, five young girls from Lyari are rewriting that story. Selected through competitive trials organised by the Kiran Foundation, the girls โ Syeda Umme Zunaira Shah, Muqaddas Abdul Rasheed, Saiqa Faisal, Javeria Ejaz and Marium Zehri โ travelled to Qatar to train at the prestigious Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Academy. Their journey marked more than an international football opportunity โ it became a powerful statement that girls from Lyari can compete on the global stage. Karachiโs neighbourhood of Lyari is known for its passion for football. But that passion was reserved for boys. Now five girls have challenged that monopoly on dreamsโฆ For 20-year-old footballer Syeda Umme Zunaira Shah, the journey began nearly a decade ago, with a determination to challenge stereotypes. โI started playing football in 2016, when I was only 11,โ she says. โIn Lyari, football is everywhere. Watching boys play in the streets inspired me to prove that girls could play just as well.โ But stepping on to the field was never easy. Like many female athletes in Pakistan, Zunaira faced social criticism and constant questions about why a girl would choose football over more โacceptableโ paths. โThe hardest part was breaking societyโs mindset,โ she explains. โPeople believed football was only for boys.โ What kept her going was the unwavering support of her family. โMy parents became my biggest strength,โ she says. โThey always told me to stay focused on my dream.โ That support proved invaluable when the opportunity to train with the PSG Academy emerged through the Kiran Foundation. The coaches evaluated players on technical ability, discipline, consistency and tactical understanding before selecting the final group. โWhen I heard I had been selected, I couldnโt believe it,โ Zunaira recalls. โGoing from the streets of Lyari to an international football academy felt unreal.โ For fellow player Muqaddas Abdul Rasheed, football was never a conscious decision โ it was simply part of growing up in Lyari. โIn Lyari, football chooses you,โ she says with a smile. Born in 2005, Muqaddas grew up around the Kiran Foundation environment and learned football through informal street games rather than professional coaching. โThere were no proper drills or coaches in the beginning,โ she says. โYou learned by playing hard, making mistakes and improving every day.โ Still, girls often had to fight for their place in spaces traditionally dominated by boys. โThe streets and grounds were made for boys,โ she explains. โBefore playing, I first had to prove I deserved to be there.โ Her father, a former footballer, became her biggest supporter. โHe understood my dream because he had lived the same passion himself,โ she says. Training in Qatar exposed the players to a completely different level of football. From world-class pitches to highly structured coaching sessions, the experience revealed the gap between local systems and international standards. โEvery training drill had a purpose,โ says Muqaddas. โThe game was faster, smarter, and more demanding mentally.โ For Zunaira, the experience transformed her understanding of the sport. โI realised football isnโt just about talent,โ she says. โItโs also about fitness, nutrition, positioning, mentality and tactical awareness.โ The five Lyari girls taking a breather during training at the PSG Academy in Qatar Adjusting to a new environment and intense training routines was challenging, but the players say their proudest moment came when they stepped on to the PSG training ground wearing the academy kit. โThat was the moment I realised I wasnโt only representing myself,โ Zunaira says. โI was representing every girl in Lyari.โ Behind their success stands Kiran Foundation, an organisation working to create educational and sports opportunities for underprivileged communities. According to Sabeen Naz, Head of the Empowerment and Enrichment Department at Kiran Foundation, sports are a powerful tool for personal growth. โAt Kiran Foundation, we believe sports build confidence, resilience and leadership,โ she says. โThis opportunity showed these girls that their talent belongs on international platforms.โ The Qatar programme was organised in collaboration with SHK Sports, the execution partner of PSG Academy. Players were selected based on their competitive experience, discipline and overall potential. Naz believes initiatives like these can inspire an entire generation of young girls in Lyari. โWhen one girl succeeds, many others begin to believe they can succeed too,โ she says. Despite the achievement, challenges for womenโs football in Pakistan remain significant. Limited infrastructure, lack of funding, and cultural barriers continue to restrict opportunities for female athletes. Coach Zubair, who trains the Kiran Foundation girlsโ team, believes Pakistani players possess natural talent but lack consistent exposure. โThese girls have immense potential,โ he says. โWhat they need are better facilities, regular competitions and international exposure.โ He points out that many female players in Pakistan rarely get access to proper football grounds, tactical analysis, or professional development programmes. โTalent alone is not enough,โ he says. โWithout investment and opportunities, progress becomes difficult.โ Perhaps the most emotional perspective comes from Zunairaโs mother, who initially worried about societal pressure and her daughterโs safety. โAs a mother, you naturally worry,โ she says. โPeople talk, and society can be harsh.โ But seeing her daughter train internationally changed everything. โToday, I truly believe girls can achieve anything with hard work and determination,โ she says proudly. For the five girls from Lyari, Qatar was not the end of the journey โ it was only the beginning. Muqaddas hopes to pursue sports science alongside football, while Zunaira dreams of playing professionally abroad before returning home to establish a football academy for girls in Lyari. Their stories present a different image of Lyari โ one not defined by hardship or struggle, but by ambition, resilience and hope. And in a community where football has long been considered only a boysโ game, five girls walked on to one of the worldโs most recognised training grounds and proved that the future of football in Lyari belongs to everyone. The writer is a sports journalist and digital content creator. X: @Amirot7Jahan Published in Dawn, EOS, May 31st, 2026