Ali Asghar (footballer)
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.jpg) Asghar with Pakistan youth team at the 1973 AFC Youth Championship | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Lahore, Pakistan | ||
| Date of death | (aged 50–51) | ||
| Place of death | Lahore, Pakistan | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1969–1974 | Lahore Division | ||
| 1975–?? | Pakistan Airlines | ||
| International career | |||
| 1973 | Pakistan Youth | ||
| 1973–1974 | Pakistan | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ali Asghar (Urdu: علی اصغر; 1950 – 4 January 2001) also known as Asghar Tony, was a Pakistani footballer who played as a midfielder. Asghar played for the Pakistan national football team in the 1970s,[1][2][3] and played for Pakistan Airlines for the major part of his domestic career.
Asghar was born in 1950 in Lahore, Pakistan. He started playing football from an early age as a right winger from Al-Fatah Football Club of Lahore. Later, he also played for Sir Amin Academy in Karachi. Asghar received his initial coaching from his father, Ghulam Muhammad Jr., a former domestic-level footballer in Pakistan, as well as from Ghulam Muhammad Sr., a former Pakistan international footballer.[1][4]
Club career
Asghar was associated with departmental side WAPDA, and started his football career with National Football Championship team Lahore Division. He later became a part of the Pakistan Airlines football team, for which he was associated with the organisation for the rest of his life. In his first match for PIA, he scored 6 goals against WAPDA, while in the 1975 National Football Championship held in Multan, Asghar scored 14 goals and was declared the top scorer for Pakistan Airlines, playing a crucial role to win the third club's title.[1] He scored a goal against a Chinese team in 1975.[1] On 9 March 1978, Asghar also played with Pakistan Airlines against the Berlin University football team from Germany at the KMC Stadium.[1]
International career
In 1970, Asghar was first selected for the Pakistan national team which competed under the name of PFF XI at the 1970 Jaam-e-Doosti Cup (Friendship Cup) in Iran. He also represented the Pakistan youth team at the 1973 AFC Youth Championship in Iran. The same year, he toured China with the senior team where the national side played friendlies against local sides including a match against China. Asghar was also part of the squad during the 1974 Asian Games, featuring in several matches.[5]
Personal life
Asghar came from a family of footballers. Asghar was eldest of ten siblings, and three of his brothers also represented the Pakistan national team.[1] His younger brother Ghulam Sarwar captained the gold winning national team at the 1991 South Asian Games in Sri Lanka.[6][7]