About the Club

Our history

Karachi United FC was founded by Taha Alizai in 1996. What started as a team of friends playing on weekends has, over the last 25 or so years, transformed into not only one of the leading clubs/teams in the country but into a movement.

In its 25 years, Karachi United has always focused on seeking to work on its objectives of

Grassroots promotion of football
Using the power of football as social tool for community development
Achieving excellence on and off the field

With this in mind, in its formative years, Karachi United prioritized creating a football and community eco-system even above and beyond its own teams etc.

In 2001, Imran Ali established the KU Youth Program which is the flagship of the KU coaching program. In 2003, Taha Alizai set up the Karachi Football League (KFL) even prior to the national league i.e., the Pakistan Premier League (PPL). Similarly, the Karachi United Schools Championship was launched by Taha in 2005 and has been exponentially grown by Ali Ata.

In 2010 under the umbrella of the KU Football Foundation, KU started its Community Centre’s (previously known as Centre’s of Excellence) wherein inner city/under-privileged kids are provided free football coaching as well as health and education assistance to these kids (and their families).

In 2017, KU launched the KU Youth League featuring not only teams from its Community Centre’s as well as KU Academy /KU Youth teams and other local youth and academy teams.

Under the head of football excellence, KU has various football teams, right from the original Club team to the current Men’s Pro Team, Women’s Pro Team, Men’s and Women’s Reserves teams as well the Boys Academy teams (ages 10 to 17).

To increase the number of football players and for meeting its community development goals, KU has and continues to host various other activities and events such as Ramadan Futsal, Open Futsal, Corporate Futsal Tournament/League, Women’s Empowerment Cup, Women’s Futsal etc. Karachi United is privileged to be one of the few Clubs in the city/country with a dedicated facility i.e., its home stadium.

Meet the Team

Karachi United’s original Club was an amateur team that represented the Club from 1996 to 2018 (notionally referred to as the "A" team). In 2013, KU formed its Men's Pro and Women's Pro teams. Since the A team mostly played in Karachi based competitions, it established itself as one of the best local teams and won various local tournaments while also having best finish as runners-up in the 2009 KFL.

Taha Alizai

Chairman, Founder & Director Football Operations

Taha Alizai founded KU in 1996. He is a practicing lawyer having earned his LLB (Hons.) from the UK. Having been called to the Bar (Lincolns Inn), he is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and regularly appears before the Superior Courts of Pakistan including the High Court of Sindh.

Taha was player/manager of the original KU team (which is now the ‘A’ team) from 1996 to 2018 and has coached both the Men’s Pro and Women’s Pro team at different times. Currently, he is Manager of the KU Women’s Pro Team. Taha founded the Karachi Football League in 2003 and co-founded the KUSC in 2005. As with the other Directors, he is very passionate about all things football and community development.

Imran Ali

Director Youth and Community

Imran Ali has over 20 years of experience in operations, technology, and strategic management. He serves as the Group Chief Operating Officer at Centegy Technologies in Dubai and has held significant positions at Motorola Solutions and Ernst & Young International. Imran is known for his leadership skills, technological expertise, and academic pursuits, having completed an MBA from London Business School and graduate studies in Computer Information Systems at James Madison University. Imran has acquired UEFA B Coaching License from the Irish Football Association, showcasing his passion for football development and further aligning with his contributions to Karachi United’s endeavors.

Ali Ata

Director Business Development

Ali Ata, a co-founder of Karachi United, has had an extensive and diverse career spanning over two decades. He is highly skilled in Enterprise Leadership, Supply Chain Management, Sales, Sports, and Community Development, and has revolutionized teams around the world with his continuous improvement strategies. In addition to being a JIPM TPM Instructor and a DuPont certified Behavioral Safety Trainer, Ali has also made significant contributions to sports management, talent development, community outreach, and fundraising for more than 18 years with his multifaceted experience.

About Karachi United

Formed in 1996 on the lines of top Clubs the world over, Karachi United was set up with view to providing a platform for achieving football excellence. Now among the premier football teams in Pakistan, KU is dedicated to developing the sport of football in Pakistan.