Arif Mehmood (born June 21, 1983) is a

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

i former footballer who played as a striker. He has been the top-scorer in the

Pakistan Premier League The Pakistan Premier League (PPL; ur, پاکستان پریمیئر لیگ) is a Pakistani professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Pakistan football league system, it is the country's primary football compe ...

five times, leading the charts in 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10 and

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

Early life

Mehmood was born on 21 June 1983 in

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the old ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

. He completed his studies from Government Comprehensive Boys High School and graduated in engineering from Government Technology College.

Club career

Mehmood started his career with the amateur team Young Gulshan Multan, from where

WAPDA The Pakistan Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA; ur, ) is a government-owned public utility maintaining power and water in Pakistan, although it does not manage thermal power. WAPDA includes Tarbela and Mangla dams among its resources ...

scouted him and selected him in their youth team in 1998. Mehmood got called up for the senior team in

2004-05 Pakistan Premier League A coxless four is a rowing boat used in the Rowing (sport), sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with Sweep (rowing), sweep oars, without a Coxswain, coxswain. The crew consists of four rowers, each ha ...

season, where he scored 20 goals in 30 appearances, earning him the top-scorer award. WAPDA won their first Premier League title and fifth league title. Mehmood was a major influence in winning the title for WAPDA. WAPDA qualified for

2005 AFC President's Cup The 2005 AFC President's Cup was the inaugural season of the AFC President's Cup, a competition for football clubs in countries categorized as "emerging nations" by the Asian Football Confederation. The eight teams that competed were split into t ...

after winning the league. They were placed in

Group B Group B was a set of regulations for grand touring (GT) vehicles used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World Sportscar ...

, with Blue Star SC,

FC Dordoi Bishkek Football Club Dordoi Bishkek ('' ky, Дордой Бишкек Футбол Клубу, Dordoj Bişkek Futbol Klubu'') is a Kyrgyz professional football club based in Bishkek, that competes in the Kyrgyz Premier League. Founded in 1997, the club ...

and

Phnom Penh Crown FC Phnom Penh Crown Football Club (PPCFC; km, ក្លឹបបាល់ទាត់ភ្នំពេញក្រោន, ) is a Cambodian professional football club based in Sangkat Toul Sangke II, Khan Russey Keo, Phnom Penh, competing in the C ...

. Mehmood scored two goals in three appearances, which includes the goal against Dordoi Bishkek, WAPDA won the game 1–0. In 2005-06 Pakistan Premier League season WAPDA finished Army FC, and repeating the same feat in 2006-07 Pakistan Premier League, although this time Mehmood finished as top scorer after scoring 19 goals in 20 appearances. Mehmood won the league for second time in 2007-08 Pakistan Premier League after beating Army in the last day of the season and winning the league by 1 point. Mehmood was again the top scorer, scoring 21 goals in 26 games. WAPDA qualified for 2008 AFC President's Cup where they finished bottom of the group. Mehmood added another silverware after winning the league again in 2008-09 Pakistan Premier League season. In this process they qualified for 2009 AFC President's Cup. Mehmood scored a brace against

Taiwan Power Company The Taiwan Power Company (, Taipower; ) is a state-owned electric power industry providing electricity to Taiwan and off-shore islands of the Republic of China. History Taipower was established on 1 May 1946. Its origins can be traced to 1919 ...

, WAPDA won the game 1–3, finishing second in the group. WAPDA once again faced their group Regar-TadAZ in the

semi-finals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

, WAPDA lost the game 4–3 in extra time with Mehmood scoring the second goal for WAPDA and third goal of the match in the 84th minute.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

U-23

Senior

Honours

Club

;

(4): 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09,

Individual

* Pakistan Premier League golden boot (5): 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mehmood, Arif Living people Pakistani men's footballers Pakistan men's international footballers 1983 births Footballers from Multan WAPDA F.C. players Footballers at the 2002 Asian Games Men's association football forwards Asian Games competitors for Pakistan South Asian Games gold medalists for Pakistan South Asian Games medalists in football