by Muhammad Asif Khan
For years, Lyari was a name associated with fear. One of Karachi’s oldest and densely populated neighbor-hoods, it became synonymous with gang wars, gunfire, killings and a troubled law-and-order situation. Its narrow streets bore the scars of violence, while outsiders often viewed the area with apprehension.
But Lyari has always had another identity, one built around an enduring love of sport, with football leads the way.
The neighbor-hood is so passionate about the game that it has long been described as “mini Brazil”, with generations of children growing up dreaming of becoming the next Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar. It was this passion for football that brought a young boy from an affluent part of Karachi to the less privileged, Lyari.
His name was Emad Naqvi. Emad became deeply attached to the neighbourhood and its football culture. He became associated with Karachi United Football Club and, later, travelled to Manchester for his education. Even there, football remained central to his life. He coached a youth team while working towards a coaching licence.
Then the tragedy struck. While in Manchester, Emad took his own life, leaving his parents, Asfar Naqvi and Atiya Naqvi, devastated.
Yet, rather than allowing grief to bring their son’s dream to an end, they chose to carry it forward.
They spoke openly about his death, believing that conversations around mental health could help others who might be struggling. And they decided to build the future Emad had imagined – in the very neighbourhood he had grown to love.
In 2018, they transformed the old Sarbazi Ground in the Singho Lane area of Lyari from a dusty patch of land into the Coach Emad Football Academy.
The ground was equipped with artificial turf and futsal facilities, while boxing and weightlifting clubs were also established alongside the football academy.
Today, the academy is more than a football ground. It is a place where children from Lyari are given an opportunity to dream and, increasingly, to turn those dreams into careers.
Sitting at the academy, its caretaker and social activist Wasim Sarbazi described what he believes is its greatest achievement, turning passion into opportunity and football into a possible livelihood.
“Today, around 250 to 300 boys and more than 100 girls train here. Some have represented Pakistan, played abroad, joined clubs or built careers as coaches,” Sarbazi said.
He said several former players had gone on to join clubs where they now receive salaries, while others were working as coaches in schools and football academies, earning a livelihood through the sport.
The opportunities have extended to girls as well. Some of the academy’s female players have moved on to different clubs and departmental teams, giving them an opportunity to compete at a higher level and, in some cases, earn a living through football.
But for Sarbazi, the academy’s purpose is not to keep young players there indefinitely.
“Our aim at Coach Emad Football Academy is not to keep children here forever. We don’t want them to remain within the academy and go nowhere else. We want them to move forward wherever they can find an opportunity to earn a living, build a career and support themselves and their families,” he said.
There is, however, a growing concern.
Opportunities for footballers have become increasingly limited following the closure of football teams maintained by several departments.
Sarbazi said the issue had been raised repeatedly with both provincial and federal governments, as well as through the media.
“We have repeatedly raised this issue with the provincial and federal governments, and through the media, asking them to do something for sports and, particularly, to create livelihood opportunities for sportsmen,” he said.
Yet Sarbazi remains hopeful.
As he spoke about the academy’s achievements, emotion was visible in his eyes. He recalled visits by coaches and observers from abroad and spoke with particular pride about the academy’s growing connection with the international football community.
For him, even reaching the FIFA level represents an important step. “The Pakistan team has gone to participate in a FIFA-related tournament.
These are important steps because reaching the highest level in football is a gradual process. Hopefully, they will continue progressing and one day play in the World Cup,” Sarbazi said.
But he believes that progress also depends on how young talent is identified and selected. He called for greater transparency in the Pakistan Football Federation’s selection process, arguing that opportunities should be based on merit.
“There should be open and transparent trials. Clubs and academies should be given opportunities to nominate their players, and trials should be publicly announced so that anyone who believes they have the ability can come forward,” Sarbazi said.
“Qualified coaches and judges should assess the players and decide who deserves selection,” he added.
The seed sown by Mr and Mrs Naqvi, nurtured over the years through their unwavering support, from abroad, is now beginning to bear fruit, as young boys and girls from Lyari turn their football dreams into real opportunities.
Lyari’s past cannot be erased. Its history of violence is part of the neighbourhood’s story.
But it is no longer the only story.
On the same streets once associated with fear, children now gather with footballs at their feet. They train, compete, dream and imagine futures that extend far beyond the boundaries of their neighbor-hood.
Football is creating a different narrative, one of dreams, discipline, opportunity and hope.
And perhaps most importantly, it is helping project a different image of Lyari not merely as a neighbourhood marked by violence, but as a place rich in sporting talent and ambition. And, in the process, it transmits soft image to Pakistan too.
On a small football ground in Lyari, a family’s grief has been transformed into something remarkably enduring.
Emad’s life ended in tragedy. But his football dream continues to live through hundreds of young people chasing dreams of their own.
