Mohammed Habib (17 July 1949 – 15 August 2023) was an Indian footballer who played as a forward for the India national team which he also captained. He is also considered by many Indians as one of the best footballers the country has ever produced. He was popularly known as Bade Mia in the Indian football world.
Club career In 1968, Habib played for the Calcutta Football League club Mohun Bagan under "diamond coach" Amal Dutta, and won the 1969 IFA Shield with a 3–1 victory against East Bengal in the final.
Although hailing from the state of Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), he represented Bengal in the Santosh Trophy. For the 1969–70 Santosh Trophy, Habib, along with Priya Mazumder and Pranab Ganguly were released from the Indian camp for the Merdeka Cup. The Bengal forwards ran riot and scored 28 goals in five matches. Habib scored five goals in Bengal's 6-1 win over Services in the final and finished as the top scorer of the tournament with 11 goals.Santosh Trophy for Bengal, Indian Express, 17 October 1969, p.12
International career Habib represented the India national team in international tournaments. He won a bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok on a team led by Syed Nayeemuddin and managed by P. K. Banerjee. He scored 11 goals in 35 international matches. International goals FIFA "A" international statistics Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Goals 3 November 1969 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur 1969 Merdeka Cup 1 9 August 1970 Perak Stadium, Ipoh 1970 Merdeka Cup 1 12 August 1970 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur 1970 Merdeka Cup 115 August 1970 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur 1970 Merdeka Cup 111 December 1970 Chulalongkorn University Stadium, Bangkok 1970 Asian Games 1 5 August 1971 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur 1971 Merdeka Cup 1 7 August 1971 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur 1971 Merdeka Cup 1 23 August 1971 Jalan Besar Stadium, Kallang 1971 Pestasukan Cup 2 26 August 1971 Jalan Besar Stadium, Kallang 1971 Pestasukan Cup 2
Managerial career After playing football, Habib became coach of the Tata Football Academy. He also acted as chief coach of the Indian Football Association academy in Haldia.
Habib guided Mohammedan Sporting in domestic competitions from 1999–2000, 2000–2003 and 2005.Legends Of Indian Football : Mohammad Habib The Hard Tackle. Retrieved 1 July 2021 He also managed Bengal Mumbai FC in the Mumbai Football League from 2007 to 2008.
Death Mohammed Habib died on 15 August 2023 at the age of 74, after suffering from Parkinson's disease and dementia.
Honours Bengal Santosh Trophy: 1969-70
East Bengal IFA Shield: 1970, 1972, 1974 Federation Cup: 1980–81
India Asian Games Bronze Medal: 1970 Merdeka Tournament third place: 1970 Pesta Sukan Cup (Singapore): 1971
Mohun Bagan IFA Shield: 1969, 1977, 1978 Federation Cup: 1978–79
Individual Santosh Trophy top scorer: 1969-70 (with 11 goals)
Awards Arjuna Award: 1980 East Bengal "Bharat Gaurav Award": 2015 Banga Bibhushan: 2018 (by the Government of West Bengal)
See also
Arjuna award recipients among Indian footballers List of India national football team captains
References
Bibliography
External links All time Indian Football XI