Abdullah Rahi

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Abdullah Rahi
Rahi in 1959
Personal information
Date of birth 1939 (1939)
Place of birth Karachi, British India
Date of death 23 April 2026(2026-04-23) (aged 86–87)
Place of death Multan, Pakistan
Position Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1959 Karachi
1960 East Pakistan
1960–1970 Dacca Division
1960–1961 Dhaka Mohammedan
1962–1963 Victoria SC
1963 Dhaka Wanderers
1964–1970 Dhaka Mohammedan
1971–? Karachi Port Trust
International career
1959–1967 Pakistan
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Abdullah Rahi (Urdu: عبداللہ راہی; 1939 – 23 April 2026) was a Pakistani footballer who played as an inside forward. He represented the Pakistan national team in the 1960s, and was member of the national squad which finished finalists at the 1962 Merdeka Tournament.

Early life

Rahi was born in the Lyari locality of Karachi. He belonged to the Makrani Baloch community (also known as Sheedi) of African descent.[1][2][3][4][5]

Club career

Karachi

Rahi started his playing career in 1954 for several Karachi based clubs such as Baghdad Sports, Sindh Government Press, and Keamari Muhammadan in the regional Karachi First Division Football League. In 1958, he embarked in a tour to Saudi Arabia with Karachi Kickers.[6][7][8][9] He represented Karachi at the National Football Championship.

Dacca Division

Abdullah second sitting from right to left with the 1969 unbeaten league champions Dhaka Mohammedan

Rahi later represented several clubs in East Pakistan at the Dhaka First Division League starting in 1960 when he moved to Dhaka Mohammedan.[6][10][11] He also represented East Pakistan and Dacca Division in the National Football Championship.[6]

He represented Victoria SC in 1962–1963.[6] And he also scored a goal against Young Taegeuk FA in the 1962 Aga Khan Gold Cup final winning by five goals to one.[12] The next year, he represented Dhaka Wanderers as a guest player and helped the side finish runner-up at the Aga Khan Gold Cup.[13]

Upon his return to Dhaka Mohammedan, he captained the side in 1967.[6] And In 1969, Rahi helped Dhaka Mohammedan win the league title as unbeaten champions. His attacking partnership with Golam Sarwar Tipu, Pratap Shankar Hazra, and fellow Pakistan national team forward Ali Nawaz Baloch being integral to their success that season.[14]

Karachi Port Trust

After Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, Rahi played with Karachi Port Trust.

International career

Abdullah sitting far left with the Pakistan national team in 1964

In 1959, Rahi was first selected of the Pakistan national team for a tour to Burma.[6] The same year he participated at the 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification in Ernakulam, India.[6][15] Rahi recorded the winning goal at the 13th minute in Pakistan's first official victory over India, during the 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification.[16][17][18]

In 1960, Rahi managed to score in a record 7–0 victory over Thailand at the 1960 Merdeka Tournament.[19] The next year he played against Burma in a home test series.[6]

In 1962, Rahi was member of the national squad which finished runners-up at the 1962 Merdeka Tournament after falling in the final against Indonesia by 1–2.[20] The next year he played against China in a friendly, and also appeared against Iran at the 1964 Summer Olympics qualification.[6] In 1964, he was part of the national squad which toured China, and in 1965 he toured Ceylon, and later Iran during the 1965 RCD Cup.[6] In 1967, Rahi played his last international matches in a test series against Saudi Arabia scoring a goal in a 2–4 loss.[21]

Personal life and death

During his time in East Pakistan, Rahi was married to a woman of Bihari descent.[22][6]

Rahi died in Multan, Punjab on 23 April 2026. His body was transported to his native Lyari in Karachi for burial.[23][24]

Career statistics

Scores and results list Pakistan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rahi goal.
List of international goals scored by Abdullah Rahi
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 13 December 1959 Maharaja College Stadium, Kochi, India  India 1–0 1–0 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification [16][17]
2 5 August 1960 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya  Thailand 7–0 1960 Merdeka Tournament [19]
3 21 March 1967 Sukkur Municipal Stadium, Sukkur, Pakistan  Saudi Arabia 2–4 Friendly [21]

Honours

Victoria SC

Dhaka Mohammedan

  • Dhaka First Division League: 1961, 1969
  • Aga Khan Gold Cup: 1961
  • Independence Day Tournament: 1960, 1961

Dhaka Wanderers

  • Dhaka First Division League: runner-up: 1963
  • Aga Khan Gold Cup: 1963
  • Independence Day Tournament: 1963

Pakistan

References

  1. "Pakistan Observer 1970.06.05 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  2. "Pakistan Observer 1968.05.22 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  3. Jabri, Parvez (4 November 2013). "Karachi Police Chief announces jobs for footballers from Lyari". Brecorder. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  4. Bukhari, Syed (6 November 2017). "5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Lyari". The Baloch News. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  5. InpaperMagazine, From (13 January 2013). "In-depth: Pakistan football". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  6. "Pakistan Observer 1970.06.05 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  7. Jabri, Parvez (4 November 2013). "Karachi Police Chief announces jobs for footballers from Lyari". Brecorder. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  8. Bukhari, Syed (6 November 2017). "5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Lyari". The Baloch News. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  9. InpaperMagazine, From (13 January 2013). "In-depth: Pakistan football". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  10. Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part II". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  11. Iqbal, Ayaz Khan | Nayir (22 September 2024). "FOOTBALL: GLORY DAYS, PASS ME BY". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  12. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 21 October 1962". p. 12. Retrieved 23 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
  14. "বঞ্চিত ফুটবলার নওশেরুজ্জামান" [Deprived footballer Nowsheruzzaman]. banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  15. "Israel Official Games 1948-1959". rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  16. Parkar, Ubaid (24 June 2023). "India vs Pakistan in football: A rather one-sided rivalry in numbers". Olympics. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  17. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) – Monday 14 December 1959" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. Nilanjan Datta (2013). India NT Results.
  19. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) – Saturday 06 August 1960" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) – Thursday 20 September 1962" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. "Pakistan Observer 1967.03.24 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  22. "تین فٹ بالر، تین دوست اور لیاری" [Three footballers, three friends and Lyari]. express.pk. 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  23. "راجہ محمد اشتیاق کی انٹرنیشنل فٹ بالر عبداللہ راہی کی وفات پر اظہار تعزیت" [Raja Muhammad Ishtiaq expresses condolences on the death of international footballer Abdullah Rahi]. UrduPoint (in Urdu). Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  24. "بلوچستان فٹ بال ایسوسی ایشن کے سابق جنرل سیکرٹری حاجی سعید احمد تکو کی اظہار تعزیت" [Former General Secretary of Balochistan Football Association Haji Saeed Ahmed Takoo expressed his condolences.]. UrduPoint (in Urdu). Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  25. "Bangladesh - List of Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.