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Mohammed Habib, the playmaker par excellence of the Nineteen Seventies who scored in opposition to Pele’s New York Cosmos in Mohun Bagan colors and made the soccer icon be aware of his sport, died on Tuesday. The previous India participant was 74.
Habib, who was affected by dementia and Parkinson’s syndrome for the previous couple of years, breathed his final in Hyderabad, his birthplace. Habib was survived by his spouse and three daughters.
A bronze medallist within the 1970 Asian Video games in Bangkok beneath the captaincy of fellow Hyderabadi Syed Nayeemuddin and supervisor PK Banerjee, Habib has represented the large three of Kolkata Maidan — Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting in his heydays, dominating the Mecca of Indian soccer for a chronic interval within the late Nineteen Sixties by way of to the 70s.
Following a profitable profession that noticed him acquire legendary standing and earn the tag of the nation’s first “true skilled” footballer for his refusal to just accept quite a few job presents that got here his approach owing to his on-field heroics, Habib took to teaching on the Tata Soccer Academy (TFA).
Later, he additionally acted as chief coach of the Indian Soccer Affiliation academy in Haldia.
At a time when the golf equipment would pay meagre sum to their greatest gamers, he was unruffled and remained knowledgeable in true sense all through his profession, for he thought of taking part in soccer as his actual and solely occupation.
One of many highlights of Habib’s profession was when he performed for Mohun Bagan in opposition to the visiting Cosmos Membership which additionally featured the legendary Pele in 1977 in a pleasant on a rain-soaked Eden Gardens.
Up in opposition to a visiting group that had a star-studded line up with massive names like Pele, Carlos Alberto, Georgio Chinaglia and others in its ranks, Mohun Bagan held their very own in a creditable 2-2 draw with midfield mainstay Habib being one of many scorers.
In one in all his greatest acknowledgments, Habib was singed out by Pele after the match with the one of many world’s best participant praising his sport.
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