Pakistan International Airlines Football Club, abbreviated as PIA FC, served as the football section of Pakistan International Airlines. Based in Karachi, Sindh, the club used to compete in the National Football Championship and Pakistan Premier League.
The club is the most successful club in Pakistan in terms of champions titles, winning nine National Football Championship titles, with their first title in 1971 and their last title win in the 1998–99 season.
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History
Early years (1958–1960s)
The Pakistan International Airlines football team was established shortly after the formation of PIA Sports Board in 1958, to represent Pakistan International Airlines in football competitions.
In September 1960, the team participated in the 1960 Aga Khan Gold Cup in Dhaka.
National Football Championship dominance (1971–1991)
The team participated in the 1970 Aga Khan Gold Cup. After passing through the qualifying stage, the team ended last in the group A of the round robin league comprising Persebaya Surabaya, Dhaka Mohammedan, and Dhaka Wanderers. From the 1970s until the 1990s, the club dominated the National Football Championship. Their first National Football Championship title came in May 1971, when they defeated Karachi Division in the final. The next month, the team won the All-Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Football League Tournament, defeating Pakistan Western Railway 7–1, with striker Ali Nawaz Baloch scoring six goals, along with a goal from Ashraf.
The club successfully defended their National Football Championship title in 1972 when they held off Peshawar White.
Their third National Football Championship title came in the first of the two 1975 seasons, defeating provincial side Punjab A. In July 1975, the Hebei provincial team from China visited Pakistan playing several matches across the country. PIA drew the match against the visitors in Rawalpindi.
In 1976 they retained their National Football Championship title, holding off a challenge from Pakistan Railways. At the end of the year, an 18-member PIA team captained by Abdul Jabbar, toured Abu Dhabi for seven days from 16 December 1976 and played two exhibition matches there.
In 1977, former Pakistan national team coach Muhammad Amin was appointed head coach of Pakistan Airlines by Air Marshall Nur Khan, bringing new players such as Naeem Gul, Shamim Khan, Muhammad Naqi Khan, Afzal Qasim, Abdul Wahid Sr., and Iftikhar Gaga. The PIA team left for Dacca, Bangladesh on 6 December 1977 to play in the Aga Khan Gold Cup.
The next year, the team went on to win the 1978 National Football Championship title defeating Sindh Red in the final by a lone goal by Afzal Qasim. In February 1978, the team participated at the Habib Bank Gold Cup tournament in Karachi. The finals were played between KMC and PIA at the KMC Stadium on 10 February 1978. PIA fell to KMC in the final by two goals to nil. On 9 March 1978, the team played against the Berlin University football team from Germany at the KMC Stadium. The Germans ultimately won the match by three goals to one.
Steady decline (1997–2019)
Pakistan Airlines lost their dominance until the end of the 1990s, winning their last of 9 national championships in 1997, fighting off tough competition from Allied Bank in the final. The team also had qualified for the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in the 1992–93 and 1998–99 editions, but withdrew both times.
PIA did not enter the newly formed Pakistan Premier League from 2004 to 2006 as after the 2003 President PFF Cup held in Quetta, the team was disbanded.
The club was added into 2007–08 Pakistan Premier League, as the league expanded from 12 to 14 teams. In their first season, the club finished at sixth position. The club competed in 2008 National Football Challenge Cup but finished third in their group and failed to qualify.
In the 2008–09 season, the club dropped two places and finished eighth, although the club performed well in the 2009 National Football Challenge Cup, as they finished runners up to Khan Research Laboratories, losing 1–0 in the final. In 2011–12 Pakistan Premier League, the club recorded their biggest defeat when they lost 4–0 to Khan Research Laboratories at home.
The club finished their highest position in Pakistan Premier League when they finished fourth in the 2014–15 Pakistan Premier League and were runners-up in 2015 National Football Challenge Cup, losing again to Khan Research Laboratories. The team withdrew from the 2016 Pakistan Football Federation Cup due to internal crisis caused by the privatisation of the parental organisation.
In 2018–19 season, they were eliminated in 2018 National Football Challenge Cup group stages and withdrew from league due to financial issues, and were relegated.
Disbandment
The club was closed after the shutdown of departmental sports in Pakistan in September 2021.
Stadium
PIA had a dedicated football ground in KDA Scheme I, Karsaz, Karachi.
For national-league home fixtures, however, PIA FC used several venues in Karachi approved by the Pakistan Football Federation, including Korangi Baloch Stadium and Shadab Football Ground.
Rivalries
Pakistan International Airlines and Karachi Port Trust had a long lasting rivalry in Karachi football, with fixtures between the two teams described as meetings of arch-rivals.
Performance in AFC competitions
Win Draw Loss
Honours
Domestic
National Football Championship
Champions (9): 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1989, 1992–93, 1997
Inter-Provincial Championship
Winners (1): 1984