Former India men’s football team captain Mohammed Habib passed away on Tuesday in Hyderabad, aged 74.
Habib, who had been suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s syndrome, according to PTI, is survived by his wife and three daughters.
He represented the national team 35 times, scoring 11 goals.
He made his debut against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup at Kuala Lumpur in 1967 and was an integral part of the bronze-medal winning team at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. He was also part of the team that jointly won the Pesta Sukan Cup with South Vietnam in 1971, and continued to play internationally until his retirement in 1975.
For his exploits in Indian football, Habib was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1980.
In club football, Habib represented the big three of Kolkata Maidan – Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting – in his playing days from the 1960s through to the 70s.
Expressing his condolences, All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey said, “The ‘Bade Miya’ of Kolkata football was my coach and mentor in [Tata Football Academy] and Mohun Bagan. His contribution to India’s bronze medal-winning team in the 1970 Asian Games will be remembered forever. May his soul rest in peace.”
On the domestic front, Habib switched over from Hyderabad to Kolkata in 1966 when he joined East Bengal.
Always considered a big-match player, Habib shone when it was needed most. In the 1969 Santosh Trophy final, he scored five goals in Bengal’s 6-1 win over Services, which is still a record.
Fans of Indian football will remember him for his exploits during the exhibition match between Brazil legend Pele’s New York Cosmos team and Mohun Bagan. Habib not only scored a goal in the 2-2 draw but also earned the praise of Pele for his impressive display at the Eden Gardens that evening.
Habib had the rare distinction of scoring the winning goals in three Durand Cup finals in the span of seven seasons for East Bengal.
The prolific playmaker was also one of the few players to win the Triple Crown (IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup) in the same season for both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in 1972 and 1977, respectively.
After his retirement from club football in 1982, Habib decided to turn to coaching. Having joined as the coach at Tata Football Academy in Jamshedpur, he was instrumental in producing a number of footballers who went on to don the national team colours.
Later, he coached Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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