Ayub Dar

Ayub Dar (born 5 December 1947) is a former Pakistani footballer, who played as a striker. Ayub represented the Pakistan national team from 1966 to 1975, and was the country's 25th international captain.

Early life
Ayub Dar was born on 5 December 1947 in Quetta. His father, Muhammad Hussain, had migrated from Kashmir in 1919.

He completed his matriculation from Government Special High School Quetta, where he represented the school football team from 1962 to 1965. Ayub began his domestic football journey with Young Afghan Club Quetta in 1962–63. In 1964, he was selected for the youth team of Balochistan, and the following year he was selected to the national youth team during a tour of Russia. In the five matches played there, Ayub scored a goal in every match.

Pakistan Railways
In 1966, Jamil Akhtar, the former captain of Pakistan Railways, saw Ayub playing in the All-Pakistan Commissioner's Cup in Larkana and offered him a job in the Pakistan Western Railway in Quetta where he would also represent Pakistan Railways FC. With the help of Ayub's scoring prowess, Railways won the final of the All Pakistan Silver Shield tournament against PIA by 0–2 in its first participation. They later won both the All Pakistan Floodlit Football Tournament in Peshawar and the All Pakistan Nishtar Memorial Football Tournament in Karachi.

East Pakistan
In 1968, Ayub represented PIA as a guest player during the Ismael Gold Shield Tournament, where his team lost 0–2 to Dhaka based club EPIDC. Nonetheless, seeing his performances during the tournament, Ayub was offered to play for EPIDC in the Dhaka League in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). During his first season, he scored 31 goals and guided the club to a consecutive league title as top scorer. EPIDC officials rewarded Ayub with Rs 10,000. Ayub made a name for himself in East Pakistan, and in 1970, joined the regions biggest club, Mohammedan SC. In the same year, he represented the East Pakistan National Team during their King Mahendra Cup triumph in Nepal, and also recorded a hat-trick against Nepal XI during the tournament.

Ayub returned to Pakistan Railways following the Independence of Bangladesh, and went onto represent the team until his retirement.

International career
In his first year playing for Pakistan Railways FC and a year after representing the youth national team, Ayub was selected for the Pakistan national team to play a series of friendly matches against Russian club Alga in Karachi, Lahore and Dhaka. In 1967, Ayub featured for Pakistan in four friendly matches in home against Saudi Arabia, all of which ended in draws. In the same year, he participated in two friendly matches against Dallas Tornado in Lahore and Karachi. He also found the net against Iran during a 2–4 defeat in the 1969 RCD Cup.

In 1974, Ayub became the 22nd captain of the national team taking over from Maula Bakhsh, and despite being fit a year later, the national coaches made room for younger players.

Honours
EPIDC
 * Dhaka League: 1968

East Pakistan
 * King Mahendra Cup: 1970

Individual
 * 1968 − Dhaka League top scorer