Syed Akber Ali Wahidi (7 August 1957 25 April 2011) was a Pakistani sports statistician, writer, journalist, historian and media manager of the
Pakistan Football Federation
Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) is the governing body of association football in Pakistan. Founded in 1947, its headquarters are at the FIFA Football House in Lahore, Punjab near Punjab Stadium. The federation manages the men's and women's ...
. Often referred to in Pakistan as "Walking Encyclopedia of Football", his work such as history, statistics and records was primarily focused on football and
field hockey
Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...
. He is also known for his statistical analysis which replaced the FIFA's record books entry for the second fastest goalscorer after then second-placed record holder
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957) is an English football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club captain before moving to Manchester United in ...
was replaced by Václav Mašek while Robson's second fastest goalscorer entry was corrected to the first division. In 2010, FIFA offered him a visit for match coverage in the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
.
He was born in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
, Pakistan. He did his BA degree in
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...
from the NED University of Engineering & Technology. After completing his education, he left civil engineering and started working as a sports writer for football in particular.
Career
He started his career in 1974 as a sports journalist and wrote in both
Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' National Football Championship as a tournament media in-charge which was for the for time sponsored by Lifebuoy soap in Pakistan. He was also offered media manager post by
Pakistan Hockey Federation
The Pakistan Hockey Federation ( ur, ) is the governing body for the sport of field hockey in Pakistan. It is affiliated with the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Management positions
The current Patron-in-Chief is Prime Minister Mian Mu ...
and
Pakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is a sports governing body for cricket in Pakistan responsible for controlling and organising all tours and matches undertaken by the Pakistan national cricket team. A member of the International Cricket Counc ...
but he refused to accept the proposal and worked for football until he died in 2011 of
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and poss ...
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...