Syed Abdullah Shah (born 6 February 2001) is a Pakistani professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Afghanistan Champions League club Abu Muslim and the Pakistan national team.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Syed Abdullah Shah | ||
| Date of birth | 6 February 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Islamabad, Pakistan | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Abu Muslim | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2017 | Mehran | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | POPO FC | ||
| 2018–2022 | Mehran | ||
| 2021–2022 | Sui Southern Gas | ||
| 2022–2023 | Dhivehi Sifainge | ||
| 2024– | Abu Muslim | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023 | Pakistan U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 2022– | Pakistan | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:40, 23 June 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:00, 12 September 2023 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editEarly career
editShah started his youth career with Mehran FC in 2013, and was selected by the Islamabad under-14 team for youth national championships after trials.[2][3][4] In May 2017, Shah was shortlisted in the Islamabad Football Association squad for their tour in Gothia Cup held in Shenyang, China while playing for Mehran.[5] In August 2017, he captained the Islamabad team in the Gothia Cup, where he scored a goal in a 12–0 win against Rising Sun Soccer Academy from India.[6] The team were crowned champions after defeating FC Zhaoqing Lixun from China by 7–6 in the penalties.[7] Shah was also named player of the tournament.[8]
POPO FC
editAbdullah then moved to POPO FC,[3] playing often as a right-back, and becoming a regular call up for the senior squad at the age of 16.[9] He was subsequently called by Pakistan Premier League department Khan Research Laboratories in November 2017, but the move seemingly failed to materialise.[9][2]
Mehran
editIn 2018, Shah returned to his youth club Mehran FC.[1]
Sui Southern Gas
editShah joined the departmental side Sui Southern Gas in 2021.[1] He made 4 appearances in the 2021–22 Pakistan Premier League until the league was cancelled shortly after starting.[10]
Following the cancellation of the league, Shah returned to Mehran.[11]
Dhivehi Sifainge
editIn July 2022, he joined Dhivehi Sifainge in the Maldivian Second Division, becoming the second youngest Pakistani footballer to feature in a Maldivian League at the age of 21, after Saadullah Khan who had previously joined Dhivehi Premier League club BG Sports in April 2015 at the age of 20.[12][13][4]
Abu Muslim
editOn 2 February 2024, Shah signed for Afghanistan Champions League club Abu Muslim, joining national team fellow Shayak Dost.[3][4]
International career
editIn 2015, Shah represented Pakistan at youth level in the AFC Under-14 Football Festival in Dushanbe.[14][8][2]
In August 2022, Shah was called up for a trials with the senior national team. In November the same year, he was included in Pakistan's squad for a friendly against Nepal, Pakistan's first fixture in nearly three-and-a-half years because of the Pakistan Football Federation's suspension by FIFA.[15][4] He went on to make his debut in the eventual 0–1 defeat.[1] In October 2023 he represented Pakistan U23 in AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers.[16]
Futsal career
editAlongside his football career, Shah also played futsal at club level. In July 2017, Shah participated in the Neymar Jr’s 5 tournament with Chitral futsal club Highlanders FC in Brazil.[17][4] Shah started playing for Team Eighteen in Islamabad since the establishment of the club in 2018.[2] He also played for the futsal section of Abdul FC during his stay at the club from 2020 to 2021.[18]
Career statistics
editInternational
edit- As of 27 July 2023[1]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Abdullah Shah (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ a b c d "SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP AND WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS WITH ABDULLAH SHAH". YouTube (in Urdu). 15 July 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Alexander, Shayan Obaid (2 February 2024). "Pakistan's Star Defender Abdullah Shah Joins Afghan Champions League". ProPakistani.
- ^ a b c d e Fatima, Sumbul (2024-07-08). "Footballer Abdullah Shah discusses challenges, growth of football in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ "PTCL Youth Club win Pak-China Friendship U-18 Soccer". Brecorder. 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ "Sports Brief". The Nation. 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ "Islamabad crowned champions of Gothia Cup". The Express Tribune. 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ a b "IFA soccer team wins Gothia Cup in China". The Nation. 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ a b Shakeel, Shahaan (2017-11-08). "7 Super Talented Young Football Players from Pakistan That Are Stealing Everyone's Hearts". Parhlo. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ "Abdullah Shah - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ Ahmed, Zara. "The 'Queen' of the field". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ Farrukh, Muneeb (2022-08-24). "Talented striker Waheed upbeat ahead of PFF Trials". Samaa. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ Farrukh, Muneeb (28 July 2023). "Abdullah Shah optimistic about Pakistan's chances in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier against Cambodia". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ "Iran Wins AFC Under-14 Football Festival - Sports news". Tasnim News Agency. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ Ale Magar, Dil Kumar (16 November 2022). "Nepal eye win against Pakistan in football friendly". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ "PFF unveils squad for AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Bahrain". The Nation. 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
- ^ Hunzai, Imran Ahmed (2017-04-25). "Highlanders FC wins Neymar Jr's 5, ready for Global Final in Brazil". GBee. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ "Abdul FC Reignite Hope For Pakistan Football With Biggest Futsal Event In History". 2023-06-03. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
External links
edit- Abdullah Shah at National-Football-Teams.com
- Abdullah Shah at Global Sports Archive