[6][7][8] In 1983, Ali joined WAPDA,[4] helping the side winning their first trophy in their first participation in the National Football Championship, scoring in the 5–4 final victory against Habib Bank.

[11][12][13] In the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Ali scored a hat trick in a 4–1 victory against North Yemen, registering Pakistan's lone win in the competition.

[2] In 1987, Ali was appointed as the 36th captain of the Pakistan national team when Quaid-e-Azam International Cup was held in Lahore, previously participating in the series in 1985 in Peshawar and 1986 in Islamabad.

[1] Ali played in the 1989 South Asian Games, scoring a goal in a 2–0 victory against Maldives along with Qazi Ashfaq, as Pakistan passed the group stages and won the title by defeating Bangladesh in the final.

[2] In the subsequent 1991 South Asian Games in Colombo under the captainship of Ghulam Sarwar, Ali again won the gold with Pakistan, after defeating Maldives in the final by 2–0.