Abdul Ghafoor (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Abdul Ghafoor | ||
Date of birth | 3 August 1938 | ||
Place of birth | British India | ||
Date of death | 7 September 2012 | ||
Playing position | Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
1958-1959 | Karachi Kickers (West Pakistan) | ?? | (?) |
1960 | Mohammedan Sporting Club (Kolkata) | ?? | (?) |
1961 | Mohammedan Sporting Club (Dhaka) | ?? | (?) |
1962-1964 | Victoria SC (East Pakistan) | ?? | (?) |
1965-1969 | Mohammedan Sporting Club (Dhaka) | ?? | (?) |
National team | |||
1959-1967 | Pakistan | ?? | (?) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Abdul Ghafoor Majna (3 August 1938 – 7 September 2012) was a Pakistani professional footballer. He played as a midfielder. Ghafoor was also a former captain of the Pakistan national football team.
Career overview
Ghafoor was nicknamed the "Pakistani Pele" and "Black Pearl of Pakistan". Ghafoor was part of Pakistan national football team setup when it was in the top 10 teams of Asia. According to The Express Tribune, he was "the last man alive from the days when the Pakistan football team was good enough to beat USSR, UAE and China – a far cry from the state of affairs right now.".[1]
Club career
Ghafoor played in Dhaka in the 1960s and before that, he represented Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) in the Calcutta League, India and Karachi League, Pakistan.
Personal life
Ghafoor was born in British India. When playing for Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) in Dhaka, Ghafoor met his wife Sabiha and then later they married. His wife Sabiha also has a predilection for football. Ghafoor and his wife Sabiha then later lived their life in Lyari, Karachi. Ghafoor sons' are Footballers too. His son Abdul Ghani has played football for different domestic teams. And his another son Abdul Waheed has also played for Pakistan Army FC.
Death
Ghafoor died in Lyari, Karachi after a prolonged battle with paralysis and disease as a poor broken man. Ghafoor left behind 2 sons and 3 daughters as mourners.[2][3]
Honours
Club
- Karachi Kickers (West Pakistan)
- Champion: 1958
- Mohammedan SC (Calcutta)
- Champion: 1960
- Mohammedan SC (Dhaka)
- Runner up: 1961
- Dhaka League (4):
- Champion: 1961, 1965, 1966, 1969
- Pakistan championship :
- Champion: 1961/62
- Victoria SC (East Pakistan)
- Champion: 1962
- Dhaka League (2):
- Champion: 1962, 1964
International
- Pakistan National Team
- Runners up: 1962
See also
References
- ↑ Pakistani Pele was a ‘football encyclopaedia’
- ↑ http://www.footballpakistan.com/2012/09/abdul-ghafoor-majna-1938-2012-by-riaz-ahmed/
- ↑ ‘Pakistani Pele’ fights paralysis
External links
- Interview Football Pakistan
- All About Pakistani Pele - Abdul Ghafoor