Kashif Abbasi Published December 26, 2025 Updated about 6 hours ago
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ISLAMABAD: At the F-11 Multipurpose Ground the day’s rhythm is set not by a whistle, but by the soft thud of a football. Here, in the heart of the capital, an unassuming patch of grass has become the most fertile ground for Pakistani football.
This is the home of POPO Football Club — not a corporate academy, but a volunteer-run sanctuary that has, against the odds, become a national talent pipeline.
Two years ago, the nation celebrated a historic 1-0 victory against Cambodia in the World Cup Qualifiers, Pakistan’s maiden win on the global stage. What it didn’t see was the quiet genesis of that triumph.
Five of the players on that pitch were products of this single, modest club in Sector F-11.
Their work is not only limited to the senior team but the efforts on the players start from the grassroots level.
In the last 24 months alone, POPO FC — who works under the patronage of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) — has produced a staggering 36 international players for Pakistan across all age groups.
The current captains of the Under-19 and Under-17 national teams, Mohammad Saddam and Abdul Sammad, along with ex-Under-23 skipper Mamoon Moosa Khan learned their craft here.
This is the story of how a vision, fuelled by sacrifice and community, is quietly reshaping the country’s football landscape.
That vision belongs to Haris Haroon, known to all as ‘Popo’. An academic who once lectured at the International Islamic University, he traded the certainty of a career for the uncertain dream of promoting football.
“I myself was a club level footballer who though could not make any serious progress,” Haris, who started his journey from a small club in PWD area of Islamabad told Dawn. “Then I realised I should do something for young children. I wanted to develop youth and bring positive change in society, so with this aim I started this academy.”
What began with a few players in 2017 has grown into a systematic mission.
POPO FC’s scouts operate a nationwide network, seeking out raw talent from all over the country.
“There is no dearth of talent in Pakistan provided these talented players – provided proper patronage, ” Haris said as he gestured towards a small, focused boy doing drills.
“This nine-year-old, Baitullah, belongs to South Waziristan. We saw his video, noticed his potential and brought him here,” he explained. The club is now arranging his school admission.
For boys like Baitullah, the club becomes a home.
A hostel in E-11 houses 44 of the club’s 80-player pool, providing free accommodation, food and crucially, a pathway to scholarship-based education.
Dr. Mudassir Mukhtar, professor at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, and a football fan, provides educational coaching and consultancy to club members.
“Educational development is a key area to invest for better professional growth of a player,” Dr. Mudassir stated, while talking to Dawn, highlighting the club’s holistic vision to create complete individuals, not just athletes.
“This club has a vision to uplift football culture in Pakistan and to raise professional footballers in line with international competitive standards,” he added.
The training itself is overseen by an AFC pro license holder, coach Shahzad Anwar, ensuring the football education is world-class. But the engine of this entire operation runs on a fuel of collective goodwill.
Haris is adamant about crediting the unseen pillars.
“I want to pay special thanks to football lovers — unsung heroes, who support us. Some provide ration, some provide kits, without any self-promotion,” Haris revealed. “Without their support, we are nothing.”
The club charges no fees, relying on this web of anonymous donors and the moral support of authorities like the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
“CDA [has] never objected on our football activities in this ground,“ Haris said. “Even recently Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa visited here to attend opening ceremony of football tournament and appreciated this club for promotion of football.”
For the players who graduate from this system, the impact is life-changing.
“Because of this academy, we have represented Pakistan in many matches. We have visited several countries,” captains Saddam and Sammad said while talking to Dawn.
They see POPO FC as the bedrock for an even brighter future, especially with the PFF’s plan for a national league.
“If the league is started, then this club will become more attractive for football lovers,” they note, envisioning a professional pathway made at home.
Producing 36 international players in two years is a “great achievement,” Haris admitted, but the mission is far from complete. His gaze is fixed on the next Baitullah, the next Sadam, the next piece of untapped potential waiting to be found.
Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2025
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