Sharafat Ali (footballer)

Sharafat Ali (born 1 June 1966) is a Pakistani former footballer who played as a forward. He is credited for scoring Pakistan first ever goal in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers since their first participation in 1990. Ali also won the 1989 and 1991 South Asian Games with Pakistan.

Early life
Ali was born on 1 June 1966 in Multan in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Club career
Ali started playing football at the age of 10, and joined Pak Fighters Football Club.

In 1980, the National Youth Championship was held regularly in Pakistan. Playing for Multan in the final of the 1981 National Youth Championship, Sharafat scored the only goal in the final aqainst Sargodha.

In 1983, Ali joined WAPDA, winning their first trophy in their first participation in the National Football Championship, scoring in the 5–4 final victory against Habib Bank. Sharafat was also part of WAPDA during the National Games, winning gold in 1992 in the 24th edition of the National Games and winning silver the next year.

International career
Ali participated in the 1984 Merdeka Tournament, scoring in a 1–2 defeat against Primera B XI of Argentina, and two goals in a 2–0 victory against Algeria U20. In the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Ali scored against a hat trick in a 4–1 victory against North Yemen, registering Pakistan's lone win in the competition.

In 1987, Ali was appointed as the 36th captain of the Pakistan national team when Quaid-e-Azam International Cup was held in Lahore, previously participating in the series in 1985 in Peshawar and 1988 in Islamabad. His long range goal in the 1987 South Asian Games against Maldives placed Pakistan second in the group stages, to advance to the third place match against Bangladesh where he again scored the lone goal in the 41st minute to win the bronze medal for Pakistan.

On 10 February 1989, Ali became the first player to score a goal for Pakistan in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in their first participation in the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification, scoring in the 81st minute in a 1–4 loss against UAE.

Ali played in the 1989 South Asian Games, scoring a goal in a 2–0 victory against Maldives along with Qazi Ashfaq, as Pakistan passed the group stages and won the title by defeating Bangladesh in the final.

In the subsequent 1991 South Asian Games in Colombo under the captainship of Ghulam Sarwar, Ali again won the gold with Pakistan, after defeating Maldives in the final by 2–0. Ali thus became the only Pakistani player to represent the national team in three South Asian Games editions and to have a medal in all three.

Managerial career
Ali was assistant manager of WAPDA from 2012 to 2021.

International goals

 * Note: Exact figures of Pakistani players before 1989 are not yet known and yet to be researched. Below are goals recorded.

Club

 * WAPDA


 * National Football Championship: 1983(1), 1991

Pakistan

 * South Asian Games: 1989, 1991