Mohammed Habib: When India’s great footballer, known as ‘Indian Pele’, gave Brazil ‘water..’
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Mohammed Habib Passed Away: Former captain of the Indian football team and the great footballer known as ‘Indian Pele’ Mohammad Habib died on Tuesday. He was 74 years old. The footballer, who led the team in the 1970s, had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s syndrome for a long time. Habib breathed his last at around 4 pm on Tuesday evening in his city Hyderabad. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. Habib is the only football player from India who scored a goal against legendary footballer Pele.
Born on July 17, 1949 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Habib represented India for a decade from 1965-75. He was part of the golden generation that won a bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok. The team was led by his state mate Syed and the team’s manager PK. Banerjee was
He was also part of the team that finished third in the Merdeka tournament in 1970 and did well in the Pesta Sukan Cup in Singapore in 1971. After making his debut against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 1967, he went on to represent the country in 35 international matches, scoring 11 goals.
Habib was known for his agile footwork and in a domestic career spanning 17 years, he represented all three big Kolkata clubs – several stints with East Bengal (1966–68, 1970–74 and 1980–81), Mohun Bagan (1968–69, 1976–78, and 1982–84) and Mohammedan Sporting Club (1975 and 1979).
The most brilliant moment of Mohammad Habib’s career came in 1977. When he scored a goal against Pele’s team Cosmos Club while playing for his team Mohun Bagan in a friendly match. In that team there were stalwarts like Pele, Carlos Alberto, Georgio Si. Due to his goal in this rain-drenched match, the match was drawn 2-2. After this, football sensation Pele had also praised Habib.
The diminutive Hyderabadi forward, fondly known as ‘Bade Miyan’ in Kolkata, was fondly referred to as ‘Indian Pele’ by many and was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1980. Habib represented Bengal in domestic competitions and helped them win the Santosh Trophy in 1969. Not only this, he emerged as the top scorer of that edition with 11 goals.
A player of supreme skill and a formidable presence on the field, Habib is regarded as the country’s ‘first professional footballer’. After moving to Kolkata, he played for renowned clubs there, winning the IFA Shield with East Bengal in 1970 and 1974 and the Federation Cup with both East Bengal (1980–81) and Mohun Bagan (1978–79).
Habib was also awarded the East Bengal Bharat Gaurav Award in 2016 and the Banga Vibhushan Award in 2018 by the Government of West Bengal as the ‘First Professional Footballer’. After retiring as a player, Habib became the coach of the Tata Football Academy (TFA) and also served as the head coach of the Indian Football Association Academy in Haldia, West Bengal.
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