Abiha Haider (born 23 February 1996) is a Pakistani footballer who plays as a midfielder for Balochistan United and the Pakistan women's national football team.[1] She was also the captain of Pakistan's Australian Football League team which competed in the 2017 Australian Football International Cup.[2]

Abiha Haider
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-02-23) 23 February 1996 (age 28)
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Balochistan United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2013 Margalla Women FC (Islamabad) 36 (41)
2014–2020 Balochistan United 6 (3)
2021-present Highlanders
Total 42 (44)
International career
2010-present Pakistan 15
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:55, 29 January 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:55, 29 January 2022 (UTC)

In 2020, she was featured in the list of 30 Most Powerful Muslim Women in Sports.[3] She is also a part of Pakistan's National Youth Council.[4]

Football career edit

Domestic career edit

At the age of 12, Abiha represented Islamabad at the 2008 National Women Football Championship. In the 2010 National Women Football Championship, she scored two goals in a 4–3 comeback win in the final group stage match against Diya which helped her team top its group and progress to the quarterfinals.[5] She represented Islamabad at six National Championships till 2013, scoring 41 goals in 36 appearances.

Abiha moved to Balochistan United in 2014[6] At the 10th National Women Football Championship, she scored three goals as her new team went on to win their maiden national title.[7]

In 2021, Abiha joined Highlanders, and represented them at the 13th National Women Football Championship. In the first group match, she scored twice in a 16–0 win over Nawanshehr United.[8][9][10]

International career edit

Abiha was the youngest player to represent Pakistan when, at the age of 13,[11] she took part in the football event at the 2010 South Asian Games in Dhaka. She subsequently represent Pakistan at the 2010, 2012, and the 2014 SAFF Women's Championships. She was also part of the squad that visited Bahrain for a three-match friendly series against Bahrain women's national football team.

In 2019, Abiha was part of two Guinness World Records entries when she participated in a football match that lasted 69 hours during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.[12] The event took place in Lyon and involved 807 players from 53 countries.[13][14][15]

Personal life edit

Abiha's father, Masood Haider, was a footballer who played at Punjab level, while her mother, Zara, was a former hockey player as well as a television newscaster.[16] Abiha has a LLB (Hons) and an LL.M. degree from the University of London.[17]

Honours edit

Balochistan United edit

Individual edit

  • 30 Most Powerful Muslim Women in Sports[11]
  • 25 under 25 Extraordinary Young Women of Pakistan[18]
  • Guinness World Records: Most nationalities in a football (soccer) exhibition match[14]

References edit

  1. ^ National Team Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine PFF Official website. Retrieved 20 May 2016
  2. ^ "Abiha Haider: Football & AFL in Pakistan and social activism". Sportageous. 21 April 2020. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Abiha Haider makes to 30 most powerful Muslim women in sports". www.paktribune.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Kamyab Jawan". kamyabjawan.gov.pk. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Sports Sciences enter last eight in NWFC". DAWN.COM. 1 August 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  6. ^ "TEDxNUST | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  7. ^ Editorial Staff (30 August 2014). "Balochistan United WFC thrash WAPDA 7-0 to win National Women's Championship in style". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Abiha Haider says record prize money 'highly encouraging' for women footballers". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Army begin National Women Football title defence in style". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  10. ^ Report, Recorder (21 March 2021). "Hashoo Group hosts dinner for women football team". Brecorder. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Pakistan's Haider making her dreams come true". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Pakistan female footballers play world record 69-hour match". Samaa TV. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  13. ^ Khilari. "Meet remarkable youthful footballer, Abiha Haider! - Khilari". www.khilari.com.pk. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Most nationalities in a football (soccer) exhibition match". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Pak women play soccer match in Lyon". The News International. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  16. ^ Editorial Staff (30 May 2011). "4 Pak women footballers off to USA for developing program". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Abiha wins for Pakistan". Associated Press of Pakistan. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  18. ^ "The Little Art Live Talks – Extraordinary 25 Under 25 Women – The Little Art". Retrieved 29 January 2022.