Naveed Akram

{{short description|Pakistani international footballer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Naveed Akram

| image =

| fullname = Muhammad Naveed Akram

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|5|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Multan, Pakistan

| height =

| position = Right-back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 2003–2014

| clubs1 = WAPDA

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2007

| clubs2 = Lahore Lajpaals

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 2011

| clubs3 = → Saraswoti Youth Club (loan)

| years4 = 2014–2015

| clubs4 = Lyallpur

| caps4 =

| goals4 =

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2006

| nationalteam1 = Pakistan U23

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 2004–2009

| nationalteam2 = Pakistan

| nationalcaps2 = 21

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| medaltemplates = {{medal|Team|Pakistan}}

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Muhammad Naveed Akram ({{langx|ur|نوید اکرم}}; born May 16, 1984) is a Pakistani former footballer who played as a right-back.

Club career

= WAPDA =

Akram won three Pakistan Premier League titles with WAPDA F. C. (in the 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2010–11 seasons) during his stint with the club from 2003 until 2014.

He was part of the Lahore Lajpaal team that lost in the semi-finals of Geo Super Football League.

== Loan to Saraswoti Youth Club ==

In 2011, Akram along with club compatriot Mehmood Ali were loaned to Nepali club Saraswoti Youth Club from May to July for the 2011 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League campaign.{{Cite web |last=natasha.raheel |date=2011-05-18 |title=Two Pakistanis sign up for Nepal league |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/171590/two-pakistanis-sign-up-for-nepal-league |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Agencies |date=2011-05-18 |title=Pakistani footballers break into international scene |url=https://www.dawn.com/2011/05/18/pakistani-footballers-break-into-international-scene/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2011-05-18 |title=Naveed, Mahmood to play for Nepalese club |url=https://www.dawn.com/2011/05/18/naveed-mahmood-to-play-for-nepalese-club/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} Both made their debut for the club in 21 May 2011, following a 0–2 loss against Brigade Boys Club at the Dasarath Rangsala Stadium. One month on, the duo helped the club win two games and reach the team target to climb out of the relegation zone.

= Lyallpur =

Akram had a short stint at Lyallpur in 2014, before his eventual retirement.{{Cite web |title=Muhammad Naveed Akram - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive |url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/soccer/muhammad-naveed-akram/50877/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=globalsportsarchive.com}}

International career

Akram was called by the Pakistan under-23 national team for the 2004 and 2006 South Asian Games, where he helped Pakistan win the gold medal.{{Cite web |title=9th South Asian Federation Games 2004 (Pakistan) |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/safg01.html |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=www.rsssf.org}}{{Cite web |date=2006-11-25 |title=Football team to be honoured |url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/220464/football-team-to-be-honoured |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

He made his senior debut with Pakistan on 12 June 2005 which was the first game in a series of three games against India, the game finished 1–1 draw to Pakistan He was subsequently called for the 2005 SAFF Gold Cup.{{Cite web |date=2005-12-09 |title=Pakistani soccer player Imran Hussain makes an attempt for a goal as... |url=https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/pakistani-soccer-player-imran-hussain-makes-an-attempt-for-news-photo/56399185 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Getty Images |language=en-gb}}{{Cite web |title=South Asian Gold Cup 2005 (Karachi, Pakistan) |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/saffgold05.html |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.rsssf.org}} He scored his first goal on 15 November 2006 in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, in the eventual 2–3 loss against UAE.{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2018-01-05 |title=The decade-long decline of Pakistani football after a rare high |url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/01/05/the-decade-long-decline-of-pakistani-football-after-a-rare-high/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=These Football Times |language=en-GB}} He also featured at the 2006 Asian Games, where he scored a long range goal in the eventual 2–3 loss against Japan.

Playing style

Naveed plays as an attacking right back on the pitch, and always tends to assist in the attacking plays as well as having a knack of scoring goals himself.

He is most known for his memorable long range goal in the 2006 Asian Games, when Pakistan came close to a huge upset against Japan.{{Cite web |title=rediff.com: Doha Asian Games |url=https://m.rediff.com/sports/2006/nov/29sld3.htm |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=m.rediff.com}}{{Cite web |date=2006-11-30 |title=Pakistani defender Naveed Akram shoots to score the team's second... |url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/pakistani-defender-naveed-akram-shoots-to-score-the-teams-news-photo/72676517 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Getty Images |language=en-gb}}{{Citation |title=An amazing goal by N Akram for Pakistan against Japan |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAk8eDklKys |access-date=2024-03-12 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2011-02-02 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Final part |url=https://www.dawn.com/2011/02/02/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-final-part/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

Post-retirement

On 29 March 2021, Akram was appointed as secretary general of the Pakistan Football Federation, following a controversial takeover by Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah, which eventually leaded to a ban by FIFA on the federation.{{Cite web |title=National Women Football to be completed, decides Ashfaq-led PFF |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/811344-national-women-football-to-be-completed-decides-ashfaq-led-pff |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Balochistan Bazigars emerge national U23 champs |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/865203-balochistan-bazigars-emerge-national-u23-champs |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-07 |title=Online elections of 2022 under PFF’s supervision began |url=https://nation.com.pk/07-Sep-2021/online-elections-of-2022-under-pff-s-supervision-began |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-21 |title=PFF extended club registration till Oct 5 |url=https://nation.com.pk/22-Sep-2021/pff-extended-club-registration-till-oct-5 |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}} Three years later on 28 August 2024, Akram along with 21 former officials faced a lifetime ban due to their alleged role in creating a parallel association and orchestrating a hostile takeover of the PFF offices.{{Cite web |title=PFF imposes lifetime ban on 22 former officials |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/561339-pff-imposes-a-lifetime-ban-on-22-former-officials |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=www.geo.tv |language=en}}

Career statistics

=International=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Appearances and goals by year and competition{{Cite web \|last=Strack-Zimmermann \|first=Benjamin \|title=Naveed Akram (Player) \|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/2815/Naveed_Akram.html \|access-date=2023-10-17 \|website=www.national-football-teams.com \|language=en}} !National team !Year !Apps !Goals
rowspan="4" \|Pakistan \|2005 \|9 \|0
2006 \|8 \|1
2007 \|1 \|0
2008 \|3 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !21 !1

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Appearances and goals by year and competition{{Cite web |last=Strack-Zimmermann |first=Benjamin |title=Naveed Akram (Player) |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/2815/Naveed_Akram.html |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.national-football-teams.com |language=en}}

!National team

!Year

!Apps

!Goals

rowspan="4" |Pakistan

|2005

2006

2007

2008

colspan="2" |Total

!21