Abdul Ghafoor (footballer)

Abdul Ghafoor Majna (3 August 1938 – 7 September 2012) was a Pakistani professional footballer, who played as a midfielder.[1][2] Ghafoor was also the former captain of Pakistan national football team.[3] He was nicknamed the "Pakistani Pele" and "Black Pearl of Pakistan".

Abdul Ghafoor Majna
Personal information
Full name Abdul Ghafoor
Date of birth (1938-08-03)3 August 1938
Place of birth Karachi, Sind, British India
Date of death 7 September 2012(2012-09-07) (aged 74)
Place of death Karachi, Pakistan
Position(s) 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) ?? (?)
International career
1959–1967 Pakistan ?? (?)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

International career

Ghafoor made his national team debut in 1959 after receiving a call-up from coach McBride. His first tours were to Burma and Indo-china. He was part of Pakistan national football team setup when it was among 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". He served as the team's captain for 11 years.[4]

Abdul Ghafoor Majna shakes hands with the Chinese chief guest before a match during the China football tour in Pakistan in 1963.

During China's football tour in Pakistan,[5] the first test in Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) ended in a 0–0 tie.[6] The second match in Peshawar ended in a 3–2 victory for Majna's side,[6] with the third fixture in Lahore ending in another 1–1 draw.[6] The final fourth match in Karachi ended in a 2–0 defeat for Pakistan.[6][5]

Club career

He began his career in 1957, representing his local side Saifi Sports (Lyari). He played in the 1958 All-Pakistan President's Cup for the Sindh Government Press. He also led Karachi Kickers to victory in the Aga Khan Gold Cup the same year. He played in Dhaka in the 1960s and before that, he represented Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) at the age of 14 in the Calcutta Football League in India,[7][8] and Karachi League, Pakistan. He later founded Saifi Club in Karachi.

Personal life

Ghafoor was born in Saifi Lane, Baghdadi, a neighbourhood of Lyari in Karachi 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 had a predilection for football. The couple then later lived in Lyari, Karachi. Ghafoor's sons are footballers too. His son Abdul Ghani has played football for different domestic teams. And his other son Abdul Waheed has also played for Pakistan Army FC.

Death

Ghafoor died in Lyari, Karachi on 7 September 2012 after suffering from a paralysis attack four years prior. Ghafoor left behind two sons and three daughters.[9][10]

Honours

Club

Karachi Kickers (West Pakistan)
Champion: 1958
Mohammedan SC (Calcutta)
Champion: 1960[11]
Mohammedan SC (Dhaka)
Runner up: 1961
Champion: 1961, 1965, 1966, 1969
  • Pakistan championship :
Champion: 1961/62
Victoria SC (East Pakistan)
Champion: 1962
Champion: 1962, 1964[12]

International

Pakistan National Team
Runners up: 1962[13]

References
  1. Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan – Part I". www.dawn.com. Karachi, Pakistan: Dawn. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  2. Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan – Part II". www.dawn.com. Karachi, Pakistan: Dawn. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  3. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Abdul Ghafoor Majna (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  4. Raheel, Natasha (7 September 2012). "Pakistani Pele was a 'football encyclopaedia'". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  5. Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan – Part II". Dawn. Karachi, Pakistan. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  6. "China - List of International Matches". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  7. Majumdar, Boria; Bandyopadhyay, Kausik (2006). A Social History of Indian Football: Striving to Score. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-34835-5. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  8. Kapadia, Novy. "Mohammedan Sporting's glorious past is linked to its uncertain future". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  9. Riaz, Ahmed (7 September 2012). "Abdul Ghafoor Majna (1938-2012) by Riaz Ahmed". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  10. "Pakistani Pele was a 'football encyclopaedia'". The Express Tribune. 7 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  11. "Aga Khan Gold Cup". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  12. "Bangladesh - List of Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  13. "Merdeka Tournament 1962". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
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