Abdullah Rahi

Abdullah Rahi
Abdullah in 1959
Personal information
Date of birth 1938 (age 85–86)
Place of birth Lyari, British India
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1962–1963 Victoria SC
1963 Dhaka Wanderers
1964–1970 Dhaka Mohammedan
International career
1959–1964 Pakistan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Abdullah Rahi (born 1938), is a Pakistani former footballer who played as an inside right forward. Abdullah represented the Pakistan national football team in the 1960s, and was member of the national squad which finished finalists at the 1962 Merdeka Tournament.

Early life

Abdullah was born in the Lyari locality of Karachi in British India.[1][2][3]

Club career

Abdullah sitting at far right with Dhaka Wanderers
Abdullah second sitting from right to left with the 1969 unbeaten league champions Dhaka Mohammedan

Like several notable players of West Pakistan, Abdullah represented several clubs in East Pakistan at the Dhaka League.[4][5]

With Victoria SC, Abdullah scored one of the goals at the 1962 Aga Khan Gold Cup final 5–1 victory against Young Taegeuk FA.[6] The next year, he represented Dhaka Wanderers as a guest player and helped the side finish runner-up at the Aga Khan Gold Cup.[7]

In 1969, Abdullah helped Dhaka Mohammedan win the league title as unbeaten champions. His attacking partnership with Golam Sarwar Tipu, Pratap Shankar Hazra, and fellow Pakistan national team forward Ali Nawaz Baloch being integral to their success that season.[8]

International career

Abdullah sitting far left with the Pakistan national team during their tour to China in 1964

In 1959, Abdullah was member of the Pakistan national football team which participated at the 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification in Ernakulam, India.[9] Abdullah recorded the winner goal at the 13th minute in Pakistan's first official victory over India, during the 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification.[10][11][12] Previously the national side had won twice against India in exhibition games after the 1953 and 1955 editions of the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament.[13] The next year, Abdullah managed to score in a record 7–0 victory over Thailand at the 1960 Merdeka Tournament.[14]

Abdullah was member of the national squad which finished runner-ups at the 1962 Merdeka Tournament after falling in the final against Indonesia by 1–2.[15]

Career statistics

International goals

Note: Exact figures of Pakistani players before 1989 are not yet known and yet to be researched. Below are goals recorded.

List of international goals scored by Abdullah Rahi
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 13 December 1959 Maharaja College Stadium, Kochi, India  India 1–0 1–0 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification [10][11]
2 5 August 1960 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya  Thailand 7–0 1960 Merdeka Tournament [14]

Honours

Pakistan

Victoria SC

Dhaka Mohammedan

References

  1. ^ Jabri, Parvez (2013-11-04). "Karachi Police Chief announces jobs for footballers from Lyari". Brecorder. Archived from the original on 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  2. ^ Bukhari, Syed (2017-11-06). "5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Lyari". The Baloch News. Archived from the original on 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  3. ^ InpaperMagazine, From (2013-01-13). "In-depth: Pakistan football". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  4. ^ Ahsan, Ali (2010-12-23). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part II". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  5. ^ Iqbal, Ayaz Khan | Nayir (2024-09-22). "FOOTBALL: GLORY DAYS, PASS ME BY". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 2024-09-22. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  6. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 21 October 1962". p. 12. Retrieved 23 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
  8. ^ "বঞ্চিত ফুটবলার নওশেরুজ্জামান" [Deprived footballer Nowsheruzzaman]. banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  9. ^ "Israel Official Games 1948-1959". rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 2024-08-13. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  10. ^ a b Parkar, Ubaid (24 June 2023). "India vs Pakistan in football: A rather one-sided rivalry in numbers". Olympics. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) – Monday 14 December 1959" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ Nilanjan Datta (2013). India NT Results.
  13. ^ "Asian Quadrangular Tournament (Colombo Cup) 1952–1955". rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  14. ^ a b "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) – Saturday 06 August 1960" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) – Thursday 20 September 1962" – via British Newspaper Archive.