Saqib Hanif

Saqib Hanif (born 23 April 1994) is a Pakistani professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dhivehi Premier League club New Radiant and the Pakistan national team.

Club career

Early career Hanif played as a forward in his youth until making his switch as a goalkeeper. He subsequently played for PEL FC and Zarai Taraqiati in senior level.

Khan Research Laboratories Hanif signed for Khan Research Laboratories in 2012, where he won two successive Pakistan Premier Football League titles from 2012 to 2014. In 2012, he was offered a playing contract from Dhaka Mahommedan in the Bangladesh Premier League, but it seemingly failed to materialise. He was a member of the team which reached the 2013 AFC President's Cup final, after falling to Turkmen club Balkan FT by 0–1 in the final.

BG Sports In 2016, Hanif signed for the Maldives football team B.G. Sports Club. He earned the man-of-the-match award for BG Sports at the Dhivehi Premier League on a match against Club Valencia.

Maalhos He moved to the Maldivian club Maalhos in 2018.

Sui Southern Gas He returned shortly after to Pakistan, joining SSGC FC.

Foakaidhoo He signed for Foakaidhoo FC in Maldives in June 2019. He was quarantined in the Maldives soon after he along with his team reached Male. The team was returning to Maldives via Colombo after playing the 2020 AFC Cup against Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings on March 11 in Dhaka. When the team reached Colombo, Maldives’ government told them to live in quarantine before coming to Maldives. When the team spent its quarantine in Colombo a lockdown started and so Saqib and his teammates spent around 25 days in the Sri Lankan capital.

Victory SC In October 2023, Hanif moved to Victory Sports Club. He played a key role for the club in achieving their promotion to the Dhivehi Premier League after four years, after defeating New Radiant in the semi-final of the Maldivian Second Division Football Tournament by 2–0. The club eventually fell against Masodi Sports Club in final by 2–3, with both finalists achieving their promotion to the top-tier.

International career

Hanif represented Pakistan at youth level as a midfielder in the Asian U-13 Championship 2005. He later represented Pakistan under-19 at the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship qualification.

Hanif was first called by the international coach Zaviša Milosavljević in 2012 to represent the Pakistan national under-23 team in the 2013 AFC U-22 qualifiers, where he was praised by the coach due to his performance. He made his senior international debut in 2013, in a friendly against Afghanistan at the age of 19. He was later called against Bangladesh in the 2013 SAFF Championship. He also played for the national under-23 team at the 2018 Asian Games as vice-captain.

Career statistics

International

Honours Khan Research Laboratories Pakistan Premier League: 2012–13, 2013–14 National Football Challenge Cup: 2012, 2015, 2016

Pakistan Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament: 2026