Habib Bank Limited FC

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Habib Bank
Full nameHabib Bank Limited Football Club
NicknameThe Bankers
Short nameHBL
Founded1975; 50 years ago (1975)
Dissolved2015; 10 years ago (2015)
StadiumPeople's Football Stadium, Karachi
Capacity40,000
OwnerHabib Bank Limited

Habib Bank Limited Football Club, abbreviated as HBL, served as the football section of Habib Bank Limited. Based in Karachi, Sindh, the club competed in the National Football Championship and Pakistan Premier League.

History

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Early years (1970s)

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The Habib Bank Limited football team was founded by Habib Bank Limited, one of Pakistan's largest banks, in 1975 when the bank created a formal sports setup and began fielding departmental teams in national sports competitions including football.[1][2]

Rise and national titles (1980s)

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In the 1982 National Football Championship, the team won its first national title after defeating Pakistan Railways in the final.[3]

The next year, the team finished runner-ups after falling against WAPDA in the final.[3]

Continental debut (1986–87 Asian Club Championship)

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The team notably participated at the 1986 Asian Club Championship after winning the 1985 Inter-Provincial Championship final against Punjab.[4] At the Asian top tier, with former Pakistan international Moosa Ghazi was drawn in Group 4 held in Colombo as venue.[5] The team recorded a 0–7 loss against Malavan (Iran), 1–2 loss against Saunders (Sri Lanka), and drew 2–2 against Victory (Maldives).[5][6][7] This was the second continental appearance for a Pakistani club side.

Perennial contenders (1990s–2000)

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Habib Bank remained competitive through frequent restructures of the National Football Championship, finishing runners-up in 1991 and again runners-up in 2000.[3]

Pakistan Premier League era (2004–2015)

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They were one of the founding members of the Pakistan Premier League in the inaugural 2004 season.[8] They were relegated in the 2006–07 season, but were elected to return, alongside Pakistan Airlines, following expansion of the Pakistan Premier League to 14 clubs.[9]

Disbandment

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The team was disbanded by the parental organisation in December 2015.[10]

Stadium

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Like several Pakistan domestic football teams, Habib Bank did not own a dedicated ground. Hence the team used several municipal venues in Karachi for its home fixtures.[11][12] The club usually used People's Football Stadium for its home fixtures for the Pakistan Premier League.[13][14][15]

Rivalry

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Habib Bank and National Bank developed a noted rivalry often referred to as the "Bank derby." In August 2008, Habib Bank recorded their first ever Pakistan Premier League win against National Bank in 2008.[16]

Performance in AFC competitions

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Further information: Pakistani football clubs in Asian competitions

  Win   Draw   Loss

Season Competition Round Club First leg Second leg Aggregate
1986–87 Asian Club Championship Qualifying Stage Iran Malavan 0–7
Sri Lanka Saunders SC 1–2
Maldives Victory SC 2–2

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Pakistan - Foundation Dates of Clubs". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  2. ^ Husain, Saeed (2025-05-09). "The Lost Era Of Departmental Sports". Aurora Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  3. ^ a b c "Pakistan - List of Champions". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  4. ^ "Pakistan - List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  5. ^ a b Bhatti, Mukhtar (1999). Pakistan Sports: An Almanac of Pakistan Sports with Complete Records 1947-1999. Bhatti Publications. pp. 237–250.
  6. ^ "Asian Club Competitions 1986/87". RSSSF. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  7. ^ "وب سایت تاریخ ورزش ایران | Iran Sport History Website". hisport.ir. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  8. ^ "Pakistan 2004". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  9. ^ "Pakistan 2006/07". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  10. ^ "HBL football team disbanded". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  11. ^ InpaperMagazine, From (2013-01-13). "No competition!". Dawn. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  12. ^ Andrew, Marylou (2014-07-01). "Beyond cricket". Aurora Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  13. ^ "Pakistan Premier League kicks off today: Six cities to hold matches simultaneously". Dawn. 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
  14. ^ "PFF approves eight cities and 13 venues for sixth PPFL". Dawn. 2009-07-04. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  15. ^ "PFF approves 13 venues for Pakistan Premier Football". Dawn. 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
  16. ^ "HBL outplay NBP 3-0 in all-Bank show". The Nation. 2008-08-23. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
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  • HBL FC at Global Sports Archive