KARACHI: Abdullah Iqbal watches the FIFA World Cup from Sweden with a sense of both hope and realism. He sees Iraq and Jordan competing on the biggest stage. He wants what they have. He wants it for Pakistan.
But he is also honest about the distance still to travel.
“The gap is still huge,” the national football team captain told Dawn in an exclusive interview earlier this week.
“The things that I want my country to achieve, it might not happen in my career. But I hope it happens afterwards, and I hope that I can be a part of the beginning.
“It could be bringing results so that people invest more in football, people start cheering more, fans start following more. All of this stuff brings the hype and this can help the future of Pakistan football and I think that for me would be a big achievement.”
His words stand in contrast to those of his Pakistan team-mate Umar Nawaz, the 18-year-old who recently told Dawn : “If Iraq and Jordan can do it, then we can as well.”
Two Pakistan players watching the same World Cup, following the same teams, but one sees a dream within reach, the other sees the distance that still needs to be travelled.
“I like that ambition,” Abdullah said, referring to Umar’s optimism. “But you also have to be realistic in football.
“You see teams like Iraq and say they went to a World Cup and didn’t do well,” he added. “But forget just before the World Cup, they drew against Spain, the reigning European champions. I think there’s still a long way to go.”
He is not dismissing the dream but just outlining the distance.
“I do dream that we play in a World Cup, but for that to happen in my career, a lot of things need to go our way,” he said. “It starts with a league and good academy level so you can start to grow from a young age.”
FROM ATTACK TO DEFENCE
Abdullah was born in Copenhagen on July 27, 2002 to Pakistani parents. At nearly 6’4, his physical attributes were always suited to defence, but that was not where his journey began.
At Danish club Boldklubben af 1893 (B.93), he played as an attacking midfielder, carrying the ball and dribbling past opponents. Then came an unexpected twist.
“I played as a central defender for the first time when I was playing for the U-19 youth team,” the 23-year-old, who now plays for Swedish first division Allsvenskan champions Mjallby, said.
“The team’s central defender was injured, another player was sent off and coach Thomas Norgaard needed someone to fill the role.
“It was between me and my other midfield partner. My attributes were more fitting for a defender, so it was an easy decision for the coach.”
The transition wasn’t seamless.
“It took a lot of learning to do,” he said. “The role was very different. I am glad that I had a coach who gave me room to make mistakes but also I did my best to learn quick.
“For me, the most important thing is not to make the same mistake twice. That’s what I did — sitting after school, analysing my game and learning.
“Even though it was suggested by my coach, at the end of the day, it was still my decision.”
THE EUROPEAN DREAM
His rise from the Danish third tier to winning the Allsvenskan with Mjaellby has been remarkable. But the journey was not without its hurdles.
In his first year in Sweden, Abdullah suffered a serious injury that kept him on the sidelines for three months.
“It was difficult because you come to a new club, you haven’t really built relationships yet, so you’re in the gym alone,” Abdullah recalled. “But my belief and faith helped me a lot.”
Now, Champions League qualifiers await as Mjaellby face Lincoln Red Imps FC or Inter Club d’Escaldes on July 21. He could be the first Pakistani to play in the prestigious competition.
“Even though it’s qualifiers, still it’s a huge thing,” he said. “I am very excited for those games.”
He thinks about the significance.
“Not many Pakistan players have done it,” he said. “It’s maybe not an inspiration, but for people to see it and get motivated and say, ’Okay, it is possible’.
“It’s something that fuels me sometimes because of all the love and support I get from my countrymen. I might be the first but I hope I am not the last.”
Off the pitch, his agent is working on the next step. Interest from clubs across Europe has been consistent, and Abdullah is clear about his ambition.
“I came to Sweden with the ambition to perform and to show myself at a higher level,” he said. “The interest is there. I want to take the next step.”
His dream? “I would love to play in Spain one day.”
THE WEIGHT OF THE ARMBAND
Former Pakistan head coach Stephen Constantine made him the national side’s captain at just 22. The Englishman believed Abdullah led by his actions. The man himself sees it differently.
“It’s not something I think about,” he said. “It’s something I have been doing my entire life as a footballer without even knowing — leading the team, communicating on the pitch, helping my team-mates. As you grow older, you understand it can affect the team positively.”
Abdullah takes the responsibility seriously.
“The captaincy adds responsibility and motivates me to do better,” he noted
That responsibility came with a moment no one will forget.
TROPHY-WINNING SKIPPER
The Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament in the Maldives last month was a moment of history as Pakistan won their first tournament title in 74 years and Abdullah lead the side.
And he knows what that means.
“First captain to bring the trophy home — that feels good,” he said, while reflecting on the significance of the moment.
“Honestly, it meant a lot,” Abdullah said. “We had a tough time in the past.
“Now we finally faced teams at a level that we should be playing against,” he said. “It wasn’t a World Cup or Asian qualifier.
“We played teams that we should to see if we have improved or not. We played in the World Cup qualifiers and we lost and we learned, but we have to show that we learned.
“We played teams at our level and we showed we are better. Winning the tournament was a great experience. It is something I will always look back on with a smile on my face.”
Pakistan’s tournament began with a 0-0 draw against a Bangladesh side that had fielded a youthful team. For Abdullah, the result was not as straightforward as it appeared.
“In the first game, we were missing a few players,” he said. “You need time to build chemistry. It’s not like we train together every day. We are only together in the international window.”
He acknowledged the external perception.
“Yes, Bangladesh didn’t field a team of their first-team players. But football is much more than just looking at a sheet of paper and saying, ’Okay, this guy is normally not here’. Because there is much more to it.
“The guy who is normally not there, now that he is here, he will do everything to make sure that he is there next time.
“We played against a bunch of young players, and yes we should have won that game. Box to box, we did good but weren’t clinical enough.”
He also pointed to the wider context.
“That Bangladesh side did good in the tournament throughout. They didn’t concede many goals. From outside it’s expected that you win against a youth side, but with time it showed that they also troubled other opponents.”
Bangladesh drew all three of their games, conceding only one goal in the tournament.
“Most importantly, we topped our group and we won the tournament, that’s what matters.”
GROWING TOGETHER
Abdullah is realistic about the limitations of national team football.
“For the national team, you’re only there for the FIFA windows, so you have to basically become a better player in your club career,” he said.
“That’s also what I am saying from the beginning. For me, the highest level in football is to play in the final of the Champions League. That’s the top of European football and that’s where you can improve. And then you go to the national team.”
He also reflected on the importance of continuity.
“In the national team, you don’t have a permanent place. You’re picked every time if you’re doing well. So the best players are picked and then we have to gel together as quickly as we can.”
But he believes in the value of keeping the group together.
“Experiences with the same team, it does help. If we come to the next camp and we have the same squad, of course, then I expect that we don’t start over but we keep going with the momentum that we had.”
TWO MANAGERS, TWO STYLES
Abdullah has played under two very different coaches for Pakistan: Constantine and Nolberto Solano. His reflections on both offer a revealing glimpse into the team’s evolution.
“Constantine was much like what you think of when you hear ‘old school from UK’,” Abdullah said. “You kind of knew exactly how he wanted things to be. Very structured and very demanding.”
He believes Constantine was the right person for that time.
“Some of the players in our group weren’t as experienced due to a lack of opportunities in Pakistan. In football, there are a lot of things you need to follow and if you’re very large with all of these things, then it can be difficult to handle. So I think he was the right person.”
Under Constantine, Pakistan achieved a historic first.
“With him in our first two games, we beat Cambodia. That was a big achievement. That got us in a World Cup qualifying group. It’s crazy to think how far back it was as that World Cup is being played right now.
“Out of those four teams in that group, two went on to play the World Cup — Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It also shows we played top teams. The results didn’t go our way but I believe we learned a lot.”
Then came Solano.
“Solano is a lot more chill,” Abdullah said. “He wants the player to be free-minded, not stress too much — gives you the freedom to express yourself.”
The change, he suggests, has been organic.
“The players learned a lot from Constantine on how you have to behave and act. Now that they know, it’s much easier to control with a coach who gives us freedom.”
He added: “Maybe it comes from the fact that Solano himself had played football at a top level in a time when coaches weren’t so much after you and you went on the pitch and did your thing.”
“Both have been very good for Pakistan,” Abdullah concluded. “It’s not like I think one was better than the other.”
THE DIASPORA QUESTION
Pakistan’s squad is heavily reliant on players born abroad. Abdullah, one of them, has a clear view on the subject.
“Honestly, this word ‘diaspora’ — from the outside there’s a lot of focus on it, but in the squad it doesn’t mean anything to us,” the defender said. “At the end of the day, we are all Pakistani.”
He is more concerned with the players back home.
“What I care about is football in Pakistan. It shouldn’t be that you have to leave Pakistan to play football regularly. To build a future for young players, there should be a league, academy-level football, good coaches.”
He reflected on the challenges his teammates face.
“Throughout my career, some of the guys I have played with would not have pursued football if they had all the problems that my national team-mates have experienced. It shows how dedicated players in Pakistan are.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Abdullah also spoke about Pakistan’s speculated participation in the FIFA ASEAN Championship later this year.
“Now we’re going to face tougher opponents,” he said. “Winning this [Diamond Jubilee] tournament means more than just bringing a trophy home — it also means that now we get the opportunity to play these countries, who before might never have thought of inviting Pakistan. It means recognition.
“Hopefully it can keep being a thing so the future generations can also go and play these tournaments and learn from it so that one day we can achieve that World Cup dream.”
As the conversation wound down, Abdullah wanted to speak directly to the people who had followed his journey, and the young players who dream of following it too.
“One thing I really appreciate is the support I receive from every Pakistani who follows my career,” Abdullah said. “I want to say that I see them and that motivates me a lot.”
His message to young Pakistani players is simple: “It’s the boring thing, but it’s just work hard. You can have talent and it can take you far, but if you want to go all the way you have to work hard. It’s not just when you have your football boots on — it’s everything around it.”
