Zahmena Malik: Pakistan footballer tells of importance of her faith
The London-based forward, who made her debut for Pakistan in 2023, came to prominence after a goal in the side’s 8-0 victory over Turks and Caicos Islands
Pakistan international footballer Zahmena Malik has spoken of the role of her faith in her sporting career, and said she feels a responsibility to inspire other young British Muslim women to “to pick up a ball and see where it takes them”.
“Faith is what keeps me grounded because everything happens for a reason,” said Malik, 24, who has represented Pakistan since 2023. “Football is a wave of emotions.”
The London-born forward joined Tottenham Girls as a teenager and most recently played for Cypriot team Lakatamia FC, but is looking for a new club in time for the new season.
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Malik, whose earliest memories of football involved playing with her older brother and being a “guinea pig” stuck in goal while he practised his shooting, said football would always be her “first love”. But as one of the most capped players for Pakistan, with 19 appearances, she understands that there is more to the sport than just scoring and winning and is becoming aware of the impact she can have — especially on those watching from a background similar to her own.
“Hearing that you’ve had an impact,” she said, “even on one person, it means everything.”
After being scouted during a match while playing for London Seaward Football Club aged 21, Malik was offered the opportunity to represent Pakistan, whose women’s side had newly begun playing again following repeated Fifa suspensions.
Malik describes herself as “being more Pakistani than anything” and said playing for Pakistan was “one of her biggest achievements”.
“I always had an inclination towards Pakistan,” she said. “I just never thought it could materialise because it’s Pakistan, then it’s football, and then it’s women’s football.”
Since her debut, Malik has played a role in allowing the side to rebuild and redefine itself. She scored the opening goal to an 8-0 victory over Turks and Caicos Islands during the Fifa Series 2026 tournament in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in April.
The goal won her attention online, but Malik said she preferred to stay off social media and described herself as “a grandma”. She added, however, that it was important to her to understand what it meant to be a role model, and to remember that no one is perfect.
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Malik believes the team’s impact extends far beyond football and is also about representation, especially for young Muslim girls.
“There are more opportunities now than when I was younger,” she said. But she acknowledged the crucial role that support from her family, particularly her father, played. “Not only does the child need to want to play, but they also need full backing from a parent to see it really happen,” she said, describing parenting as “a full-time job without a pay cheque”. She added: “If you have a support network around you, you can do anything.”
Before her international debut, Malik was making an impact locally by volunteering as a football coach for Sisters United, a Muslim youth group, leading weekly sessions for girls. Known to the children as Coach Zee, she set up one-hour weekly sessions for Muslim girls, especially teenagers, to embrace football and have fun.
She particularly remembers one girl telling her: “There must be something special about you, because I used to hate football and now you’ve got me to like it.”
