Pakistani football clubs in Asian competitions

Pakistani football clubs have entered Asian association football competitions (AFC Champions League and AFC Cup) since the 1980s.

Who qualifies for Asian club championships

Competition Who Qualifies Teams
AFC Challenge League Qualifying Stage (from the 2024–25 season) Pakistan Premier League winner 1

History

Early Asian Competitions (1985–2002)

Pakistan made its debut in Asian club competitions in the 1985–86 Asian Club Championship, when Pakistan International Airlines qualified as winners of the Inter-Provincial Championship. In the next 1986 Asian Club Championship, Habib Bank entered the competition as champions of the same Inter-Provincial Championship.[1] From 1987 onwards, the National Football Championship winners represented Pakistan in Asia, including Pakistan Air Force (1987), Punjab (1989–90), Pakistan Airlines (1990–91), WAPDA (1991–92), and Allied Bank (1998–99). Crescent Textile Mills featured twice, in 1988–89 and 1995–96, based on their National Championship victories. However, anomalies occurred when clubs without national domestic honours, such as Wohaib (1992–93) and Defence FC (1993–94), were nominated instead.[2] All Pakistani entrants competed in the qualifying stages, with the sole exception of Wohaib FC, who became the only club to progress to the group stage.[1]

A separate Asian Cup Winners' Cup was introduced in 1990 intended for domestic cup champions. Pakistan sent National Football Championship winners Punjab (1990–91) and Pakistan Airlines (1998–99). National Departmental Championship winners Karachi Port Trust represented Pakistan in 1991–92, and President PFF Cup runners-up KRL in 2000–01. Other entries, such as PIA (1992–93), and Youth League FC (1993–94), did not qualify through domestic cup success and were irregular nominations.[2]

2005–present

From 2005 onwards, winners of the Pakistan Premier League have represented the country in Asian competitions. Most entries were in the AFC President’s Cup (2005–2014), where KRL reached the 2013 final.[3] Since the President’s Cup was abolished, Pakistani champions K-Electric attempted the AFC Cup at the 2016 edition.

From the 2024–25 season, the league winner enters the AFC Challenge League qualifying stage.

Asian Champion Club Tournament/Asian Club Championship/AFC Champions League

Asian Club Championship
Season Round Team Result Opponent Venue
1985–86 Qualifying Stage Pakistan Airlines 0–3 Abahani Krira Chakra Colombo, Sri Lanka
6–1 Club Valencia Colombo, Sri Lanka
0–2 East Bengal Colombo, Sri Lanka
2–2 Saunders SC Colombo, Sri Lanka
0–0 New Road Team Colombo, Sri Lanka
1986–87 Qualifying Stage Habib Bank 0–7 Malavan Colombo, Sri Lanka
1–2 Saunders SC Colombo, Sri Lanka
2–2 Victory SC Colombo, Sri Lanka
1987–88 Qualifying Stage Pakistan Air Force 1–4 Mohun Bagan Dhaka, Bangladesh
1–3 Dhaka Mohammedan Dhaka, Bangladesh
1–4 Manang Marsyangdi Dhaka, Bangladesh
0–10 Al Rasheed Dhaka, Bangladesh
1988–89 Qualifying Stage Crescent Textile Mills 0–8 Mohun Bagan Kolkata, India
1–8 Fanja Kolkata, India
2–1 Kathmandu SC Kolkata, India
1989–90 Qualifying Stage Punjab 0–2 Fanja Muscat, Oman
0–0 Salgaocar Muscat, Oman
1–1 Kathmandu SC Muscat, Oman
1990–91 Qualifying Stage Pakistan Airlines 1–0 Ranipokhari Quetta, Pakistan
0–0 Al-Nasr Quetta, Pakistan
1991–92 Qualifying Stage WAPDA 0–5 Dhaka Mohammedan Dhaka, Bangladesh
0–0 Dhaka Mohammedan Pakistan
1992–93 Qualifying Stage Wohaib 1–2 Club Valencia Malé, Maldives
6–2 Club Valencia Lahore, Pakistan
0–0 Brothers Union Dhaka, Bangladesh
2–0 Brothers Union Lahore, Pakistan
Group stage 0–10 Al Wasl Manama, Bahrain
1–1 PAS Tehran Manama, Bahrain
1993–94 Qualifying Stage Defence FC 0–5 Oman Club Muscat, Oman
n/p1 Oman Club
1994–95 None Entered
1995–96 Qualifying Stage Crescent Textile Mills 2–1 Saunders SC Unknown
3–02 Saunders SC Unknown
1–9 Verdy Kawasaki Unknown
0–33 Verdy Kawasaki Unknown
1996–97 None Entered
1997–98
1998–99 Qualifying Stage Allied Bank w/o4 Saunders SC
1999–00 None Entered
2000–01
2001–02
AFC Champions League
2002–03 None Entered
2004

1 The match was played over one leg due to civil unrest in Pakistan.

2 Saunders withdrew in 2nd leg, default 3–0 to Crescent Mills.

3 Crescent withdrew in 2nd leg, default 3–0 to Verdy Kawasaki.

4 Allied Bank Limited withdrew.

Asian Cup Winners' Cup

Season Round Team Result Opponent Venue
1990–91 First Round Punjab 0–9 Persepolis Tehran, Iran
2–4 Persepolis Pakistan
1991–92 First Round Karachi Port Trust 0–6 Pupuk Kaltim Bontang, Indonesia
0–3 Pupuk Kaltim Pakistan
1992–93 First Round Pakistan Airlines w/o1 York Sporting Club
York Sporting Club
1993–94 First Round Youth League FC 0–3 New Radiant Malé, Maldives
0–2 New Radiant Pakistan
1994–95 None Entered
1995
1996–97
1997–98
1998–99 First Round Pakistan Airlines w/o2 Happy Valley
Happy Valley
1999–2000 None Entered
2000–01 First Round Khan Research Laboratories 1–1 BEC Tero Sasana Bangkok, Thailand
0–6 BEC Tero Sasana Karachi, Pakistan
2001–02 None Entered

1 Pakistan Airlines and York Sporting Club both withdrew.[4]

2 Pakistan Airlines withdrew.[5]

AFC Cup/AFC Champions League Two

AFC Cup
Season Round Team Result Opponent Venue
2015 None Entered
2016 Qualifying round K-Electric 3–3 Druk United Thimphu, Bhutan
1–0 Khoromkhon Thimphu, Bhutan
Qualifying play-off 0–2 Al-Hidd Riffa, Bahrain
2017 No League Held
2018
2019 Entry denied
2020 No League Held
2021
2022
2023–24

AFC President's Cup/AFC Challenge League

AFC President's Cup
Season Round Team Result Opponent Venue
2005 Group stage WAPDA 0–1 Blue Star SC Kathmandu, Nepal
1–2 Hello United Kathmandu, Nepal
1–0 Dordoi-Dynamo Kathmandu, Nepal
2006 Group stage Pakistan Army 1–4 Tatung Kuching, Malaysia
0–1 Transport United Kuching, Malaysia
1–1 Khemara Kuching, Malaysia
2007 Group stage Pakistan Army 3–3 Ratnam Sports Club Lahore, Pakistan
1–2 Regar-TadAZ Lahore, Pakistan
2–3 Transport United Lahore, Pakistan
2008 Group stage WAPDA 1–2 Regar-TadAZ Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
1–1 Nepal Police Club Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
0–1 Dhaka Abahani Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
2009 Group stage WAPDA 0–0 Regar-TadAZ Kathmandu, Nepal
0–0 Nepal Police Club Kathmandu, Nepal
3–1 Taiwan Power Company Kathmandu, Nepal
Semi-finals 3–4 Regar-TadAZ Tursunzoda, Tajikistan
2010 Group stage Khan Research Laboratories 2–1 Naga Corp Yangon, Myanmar
0–1 Vakhsh Qurghonteppa Yangon, Myanmar
1–2 Renown Yangon, Myanmar
2011 Group stage WAPDA 2–0 Nepal Police Club Kathmandu, Nepal
0–3 Taipower Kathmandu, Nepal
0–1 Balkan Kathmandu, Nepal
2012 Group stage Khan Research Laboratories 0–0 Erchim Lahore, Pakistan
0–0 Taiwan Power Company Lahore, Pakistan
Final group stage 1–3 Taiwan Power Company Dushanbe, Tajikistan
1–5 Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari Dushanbe, Tajikistan
2013 Group stage Khan Research Laboratories 1–1 Dordoi Bishkek Cebu City, Philippines
2–0 Global Cebu City, Philippines
8–0 Yeedzin Cebu City, Philippines
Final Group stage 1–0 Dordoi Bishkek Malacca, Malaysia
2–0 Hilal Al-Quds Malacca, Malaysia
Final 0–1 Balkan Malacca, Malaysia
2014 Group stage Khan Research Laboratories 0–0 Sheikh Russel Colombo, Sri Lanka
3–0 Ugyen Academy Colombo, Sri Lanka
0–3 Sri Lanka Air Force Colombo, Sri Lanka
AFC Challenge League
2024–25 No League Held
2025–26

Top scorers

As of 16 May 2018
Pos Player Team ACC/ACL AC/ACL2 APC/ACL3 ACWC Total Ref.
1 Kaleemullah Khan Khan Research Laboratories — — 8 — 8 [6]

[7]

2 Arif Mehmood WAPDA — — 6 — 6 [8]

[9] [10]

3 Shabbir Muhammad Pakistan Army — — 3 — 3 [11]
Umar Daraz Pakistan Army — — 3 — 3 [11]
Muhammad Adil Khan Research Laboratories — — 3 — 3 [12]

[7]

6 Saadullah Khan Khan Research Laboratories — — 2 — 2 [12]

[7]

Muhammad Rasool K-Electric — 2 — — 2 [13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ahsan, Ali (2010-12-23). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part III". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  2. ^ a b "Soccer: Army to represent Pakistan". DAWN.COM. 2006-01-10. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  3. ^ "AFC President's Cup: History-making KRL suffer 1-0 disappointment in final". The Express Tribune. 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  4. ^ "Cup Winners' Cup 1992/93". RSSSF.
  5. ^ "Cup Winners' Cup 1998/99". RSSSF.
  6. ^ "AFC President's Cup 2010". RSSSF.
  7. ^ a b c "AFC President's Cup 2013". RSSSF.
  8. ^ "AFC President's Cup 2005". RSSSF.
  9. ^ "AFC President's Cup 2009". RSSSF.
  10. ^ "AFC President's Cup 2011". RSSSF.
  11. ^ a b "AFC President's Cup 2006". RSSSF.
  12. ^ a b "AFC President's Cup 2012". RSSSF.
  13. ^ "AFC Cup 2016". RSSSF.
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