KARACHI: It all happened so quickly. One moment, Yousuf Butt launched the ball forward. The next, Otis Khan flicked it on. Then Shayek Dost was sprinting down the line. And Umar Nawaz was running.
“I was confused myself. I was like, what just happened?” Umar, told Dawn, reminiscing about the goal that helped end a 74-year trophy wait for Pakistan.
Umar, 18, was sprinting towards goal. He had one thought: “I need to sprint for my life.”
He reached it, he finished it and Afghanistan’s defence was broken.
That goal — in the fifth minute of the group-stage match against Afghanistan — helped Pakistan reach the final of the Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in the Maldives last month. It was a moment Umar still hasn’t fully processed.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was dreaming.”
Born on Sept 27, 2007 in Peshawar, Umar was seven when the 2014 Army Public School attack shook the nation.
He was not at the school that day, but his family was directly affected. His brother Haris was martyred. His other brother Ahmad was shot in the arm, requiring an emergency surgery. The family moved to the United Kingdom shortly for Ahmad’s treatment.
Umar wasn’t interested in football back then. In England, he started playing futsal at a local park. His performances caught the eye of a team-mate’s father, a coach at Bournville Academy. Umar joined and spent nearly six years there.
His progress earned him trials at Birmingham City, Coventry City and Hull City. He chose Coventry first. It was during a match with Coventry that Wolverhampton Wanderers’ scouting team spotted him and offered a two-year contract.
In July 2024, he signed for Wrexham’s U-18 side as a scholar.
Then came the call from Pakistan.
“As soon as I got the call-up, I had no second thoughts. It’s always an honour to play for your country,” he expressed.
THE 74-YEAR WAIT IS OVER
Pakistan’s tournament began with a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh. Umar didn’t play that game. The dressing room was silent.
“Everyone was really down. No one spoke,” he said.
Then came the Maldives. Umar was given his chance and the youngster was determined to leave a lasting impact.
“I need to make the most of this opportunity. I need to do anything I can,” he said.
He did. Pakistan won 3-0. The winless drought that had stretched to 962 days was over, finally.
Then came Afghanistan. Then came the sprint, and the goal.
“I still think about that goal,” Umar recalled.
Pakistan won the final 2-0. A 74-year wait for a tournament title was over. Umar, the youngest player in the squad at 18, had scored two goals during the campaign.
“It’s a really proud moment for me and my family,” he said.
Behind the goals is a team Umar describes as a family, led by Nolberto Solano, a Premier League legend with Newcastle United.
When Pakistan drew with Bangladesh, Solano didn’t shout. He stayed calm.
“He said it in a calm way. And we all respected that.”
FOOTBALL AS A LIFELINE
There is a reason this story has weight beyond football.
Umar was seven when the 2014 Army Public School attack claimed the life of his brother Haris. Amid the grief, football became his escape.
“I used football to take my mind away from what happened. I think football played a massive part in keeping my mind healthy,” Umar told.
Now, Umar watches the World Cup with different eyes. He sees Iraq and Jordan competing on the biggest stage. And he believes.
“While looking at the World Cup, you see teams like Iraq and Jordan and I was like, if they can do it then we can do it as well.”
His inspirations are Erling Haaland and Hugo Ekitike — strikers whose attributes he believes mirror his own.
And he has a message for the fans.
“Keep believing in us. As you see we won a tournament. So good things are coming. We just need your prayers.”
Umar was not born into football. He discovered it in England. And now, at 18, he has scored two goals for his country and played his part in ending a 74-year wait.
He is still dreaming. Of Pakistan at a World Cup.
“One day anything can happen. We might even win it. Football is a crazy game.”
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026