Ibrahim Mughrabi

Ibrahim Mughrabi (Arabic: إبراهيم المغربي, born 1939 in Damascus) is a Palestinian[2] footballer who played professionally in Syria, Greece, and Egypt as a striker. He was the first foreigner to ever play in the Greek Championship. In Greece he was known as "Ibrahim".

Ibrahim Mughrabi
Personal information
Full name Ibrahim Al-Mughrabi
Date of birth 1939
Place of birth Aleppo, Syria[1]
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
–1962 Halab Al-Ahli
1962–1963 AEK Athens 22 (7)
1963–1964 Al Ahli
International career
Syria Military
1965 Palestine 6 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Mughrabi studied Law at the Damascus University while playing football for Halab Al-Ahli. Hailing from a noble family, he played football mostly as a hobby.

In 1962 he moved to Athens in order to continue his studies at the University of Athens. He signed for AEK Athens, becoming the first ever foreign player to play for a Greek club. At his debut, on 27 September 1962 against Egaleo, he introduced himself to the fans of the double-headed eagle by scoring a hat-trick, in a 7–2 win. On 7 October, he opened the score with a header in the 4–0 home win against Ethnikos[3] He scored against Aris on 21 October, opening the score in the final 3–1 at home.[4] On 28 April 1963, he scored in the 3–0 home win over Panionios.[5] He shaped the last of the 5 goals of his club in the 5–1 against PAOK at home, on 5 May.[6] His last 2 goals for AEK were on 19 May 1963 in a match for the Greek Cup at home against Kalamata, where he formed the final 7–1. In his only season at AEK he won the Greek Championship.[7]

He left AEK and Greece halfway of the season returning to Syria and the following year he moved to Cairo and joined Al Ahli where he signed a professional contract. It is the first professional contract signed in Egyptian football. At the end of the season he gave up football to practice law.[2]

International career

In 1965 he played with Palestine in the 4th Pan-Arab Games held in Egypt, winning the fourth place. He scored the winner in the match against Lebanon.[8]

Personal life

Mughrabi lives for decades in Switzerland, along with his partner.[2]

Honours

AEK Athens

References
  1. Νικόλας, Αγγελίδης (8 September 2016). "Στα χνάρια του πρώτου ξένου στην ιστορία της ΑΕΚ!". aek-live.gr (in Greek). Online.
  2. Νικόλας, Αγγελίδης (19 July 2023). "Ανακαλύψαμε... τον θρυλικό Ιμπραήμ της ΑΕΚ!". aek-live.gr (in Greek). Online.
  3. "7/10/1962: ΑΕΚ-Εθνικός 4-0". aektoday.com.
  4. "21/10/1962: ΑΕΚ-Άρης 3-1". aektoday.com.
  5. "ΑΕΚ-ΠΑΝΙΩΝΙΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ Α ΕΘΝΙΚΗ". flash.gr. 29 March 2002.
  6. Καζαντζόγλου, Σταύρος (18 October 2020). "ΑΕΚ: Ο καλός πελάτης ΠΑΟΚ". enwsi.gr.
  7. "Ιμπραήμ". kitrinomavro.gr.
  8. "4th Pan Arab Games, 1965 (Cairo, Egypt)". RSSSF.
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