Zahid Niaz
Sheikh Zahid Niaz is a former Pakistan international footballer and experienced football coach whose career spans playing at the highest domestic level, representing Pakistan internationally, and subsequently developing young footballers through coaching.
Player Development Specialist
Born on 21 June 1977, Zahid Niaz played as a striker and spent his senior club career with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). He established himself as a prolific goalscorer, finishing as the leading scorer of the 1997 National Football Championship with seven goals and later becoming the top scorer of the 2002 President PFF Cup, also with seven goals.
His playing career eventually led him to the Pakistan national team. In January 2003, he represented Pakistan at the SAFF Gold Cup in Dhaka, making his senior international debut against Sri Lanka. He scored Pakistan's opening goal in the match, which Pakistan won 2–1.
After his playing career, Zahid Niaz moved into coaching and began building his expertise through football coaching courses. His coaching journey has included work with Pakistan's youth national teams, giving him valuable experience in identifying, training, and developing young players.
From Player to Coach
As a young player, he represented Pakistan at youth level and captained the Pakistan U-16 team during qualification for the 1998 AFC U-16 Championship. His progression from youth international football to senior domestic football and eventually the Pakistan senior national team gave him first-hand experience of the pathway aspiring Pakistani footballers hope to follow.
He went on to spend his entire senior club career with Pakistan Airlines, making him part of one of Pakistan's historic football institutions. His goal-scoring performances included an extraordinary match in the 1997 National Football Championship in which he scored four goals, including a hat-trick completed within three minutes. He finished the competition as its leading scorer with seven goals.
In 2002, he again finished as a major tournament's leading scorer, scoring seven goals in the President PFF Cup.
Pakistan International Career
One of the defining moments of Zahid Niaz's playing career came in the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Selected for Pakistan's senior national team, Niaz made his international debut against Sri Lanka on 12 January 2003. He scored in the 50th minute as Pakistan went on to win the match 2–1.
His international record therefore includes:
Pakistan Senior National Team
- International debut: 2003
- Competition: SAFF Gold Cup
- Opponent: Sri Lanka
- Goals: 1
- Result: Pakistan 2–1 Sri Lanka
For a young Pakistani footballer, progressing from youth international football to scoring on a senior international debut represents a significant achievement.
From International Player to Coach
After retiring from playing, Zahid Niaz turned his attention toward coaching and player development.
Rather than leaving football behind, he used his experience as a player to begin a new chapter focused on teaching and developing the next generation.
He undertook football coaching courses and subsequently became involved with Pakistan's youth national teams. In 2013, he served as an assistant coach with the Pakistan U-14 team at the inaugural AFC U-14 Championships in Iran.
He later served as an assistant coach with Pakistan's U-15 national team at the 2018 SAFF U-15 Championship in Nepal. Pakistan finished as runners-up in that competition. Contemporary reporting by Dawn lists Sheikh Zahid Niaz among the team's assistant coaches.
This transition from international player to youth national-team coach has given Zahid Niaz experience from both sides of the football development process: understanding what it takes to become a player and understanding how to develop one.
FIFA “A” Licensed Football Coach
Zahid Niaz has continued his professional development through formal football coaching education.
In May 2015, he was among the coaches who completed an AFC Licence A coaching course held at the Pakistan Football Federation headquarters in Lahore.
Zahid Niaz's coaching career has particularly focused on youth football.
His documented national-team coaching experience includes:
Pakistan U-14
Assistant Coach — 2013
He was part of Pakistan's U-14 coaching staff for the inaugural AFC U-14 Championships held in Iran.
Pakistan U-15
Assistant Coach — 2018
He served as an assistant coach for Pakistan at the 2018 SAFF U-15 Championship, where Pakistan finished runners-up.
A Coach Who Understands the Player's Journey
What makes Zahid Niaz's coaching background distinctive is that his experience does not begin with coaching qualifications alone.
He has experienced the football pathway himself:
Youth International Player → Senior Club Football → Pakistan International Player → Professional Coaching → Youth National-Team Coach → Player Development
That experience allows him to understand many of the challenges faced by young footballers: technical development, competition, confidence, discipline, tactical awareness, physical preparation, and the demands of representing a team.
His role as a coach is therefore not simply to teach players how to kick a football. It is to help them understand how to become better footballers and better athletes.
