It was more than just a goal for Zohra Nasir’s team when she kicked her goal during a Group A match between Hazara Girls Football Academy and Gilgit City on Tuesday.
That iconic goal did not only take Hazara Girls Football Academy to the quarter-finals on their maiden appearance in the National Women’s Football Championship but it also changed everything for these girls who’re based in Karachi’s Manghopir district.
Sharing how she felt after the masterstroke, the star player, Zoya Nasir, said: “My coach had told me that this match can turn my bullies into cheerleaders, and that’s exactly what is happening with all of us. We are very proud of our achievement. I hope that after seeing us getting success, other parents will also be encouraged to send their daughters to participate in football.”
It was just the last week when the same team was trounced by a much more experienced team WAPDA 17-0 but everything changed for these girls a week later.
On their arrival back home after the memorable win against Gilgit, the players received a warm welcome, with rose petals showered over them by the same people who taunted the team earlier.
That’s how one goal changed everything for these girls.
The magical ending of Hazara Girls Football Academy’s game against Gilgit was actually a new beginning for the team. It actually brought a ray of hope for the young footballers who don’t have any facilities but their passion for the game remain undented.
Back in Manghopir, these girls practice on a solid ground of a local school’s compound. They don’t have a grassy or dusty pitch to get themselves trained, yet they are fully energetic on the field.
The club was founded by Ali Dad Changezi who is also the head coach of the team.
In an exclusive interview with Geo, Ali Dad shared the challenges he faced in creating this team after he was taken aback by the question his daughter asked.
“When I’ll grow up, will you let me play any sports as other boys play?” Ali Dad recalled the question of his 9-year-old daughter Farwa.
“There was another incident when I was training the boy’s team in school. I saw girls sitting on a corner discussing how they’re less privileged because they can’t have the same freedom which boys have,” he recalled.
