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Muhammad Umer

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Muhammad Umer
PP TI
Umer during his playing days
Personal information
Full name Muhammad Umer Baloch
Date of birth 1935
Place of birth Lyari, Karachi, British India
Date of death (aged 69)
Place of death Karachi, Pakistan
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1948 Qadri Sports
1950 Haroon Sons
1953 KMC
1954 Friends Union
1955 Karachi Kickers
1956 Kemari Mohammedan
1957–1960 Kolkata Mohammedan
1961–1965 Victoria SC
1966 Dhaka Wanderers
1967 KMC
1969–1970 Dilkusha SC
International career
1956–1968 Pakistan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Muhammad Umer Baloch PP TI (Urdu: محمد عمر بلوچ; 1935 – 21 March 2004), alternatively spelled Mohammad Omer, was a Pakistani professional footballer who played as a striker. Renowned for his goal-scoring abilities, prolific finishing, and hat-tricks, he is widely considered as one of the greatest Pakistani footballers of all time.[1][2][3]

Starting his career in clubs in Karachi, Umer later represented Kolkata Mohammedan in the late 1950s. In his first year, he became the Calcutta League's top scorer, while also guiding Mohammedan to the title, also captaining the side to win the 1960 Aga Khan Gold Cup. He continued his professional career in various clubs in East Pakistan, winning various titles across his spells.

Umer represented the Pakistan national football team from 1956 to 1968, and was the country's 13th international captain. He also represented Pakistan at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games. Under his captaincy, he helped the side finish runner-ups at the 1962 Merdeka Tournament.

In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Umer was honored with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 1989,[4] and the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan in 1990.[1]

Early career

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Umer was born in the Lyari locality of Karachi in 1935. He belonged to the Makrani Baloch community (also known as Sheedi) of African descent.[5] Initially rising through the ranks from school football,[6][7] Umer began his career in 1948, aged 13, as a goalkeeper for Karachi-based Qadri Sports. However, his attacking ability soon saw him convert into a centre-forward, eventually earning the nickname "Black Horse".[1]

Club career

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Early career

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Umer standing fourth from right to left with the KMC football team with Ayub Khan

In 1950, Umer debuted for Haroon Sons in Karachi's Abu Bakr Tournament against Quetta. He also represented the Karachi Municipal Corporation football team. In 1954, he toured southern India with Friends Union. During the tour, Umer's team became runners-up in the All-India Chakola Trophy, earning him a spot on Karachi's team for the National Football Championship in 1955 held in Bahawalpur.[1]

Karachi Kickers

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Umer (second sitting from left) with Karachi Kickers during a final in a tournament in Travancore–Cochin state, South India in 1955

His success in the National Football Championship with Karachi led him to join Karachi Kickers, winning several regional and invitational tournaments. In the same year, he again toured India, earning acclaim for scoring six goals in a game in Ernakulam and achieving a hat-trick in Mysore, as reported by local Indian newspapers.

Kemari Mohammedan

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Umer represented East Pakistan in the National Football Championship in 1956, and in the same year, went on his third Indian tour with Kemari Mohammedan, finishing runners-up to Hyderabad Police. During the tournament, he also scored eight goals in a single game against Maharashtra FC, earning praise and sparking interest from Indian clubs.[2]

Kolkata Mohammedan

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Nikhil Nandy (L) tackling Umer during a 1956 Calcutta League match between Mohammedan SC & Eastern Railway

In 1957, joined Calcutta League club Kolkata Mohammedan in India. In the same year, he became the league's top scorer, while also guiding Mohammedan to the title.

Umer standing third from right with the 1960 Aga Khan Gold Cup winners Kolkata Mohammedan pictured before the final.

In 1960, Mohammedan captained by Umer, won the Aga Khan Gold Cup held in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), where they defeated Indonesian club PSM Makassar 4–1, with Umer scoring twice.[8]

Umer enjoyed star status during his stay in India, and featured in several magazine headlines and advertisements of companies in the country media.[9] He was admired by then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar, who reportedly insisted Umer to stay in India, although in the end he left Mohammedan in the early 1960s and returned to Pakistan.[10][11][12]

Victoria SC

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Tunku Abdul Rahman distributing the 1962 Aga Khan Gold Cup trophy to Victoria SC captain Muhammad Umer

In 1961, Umer returned to Pakistan joining East Pakistan-based Victoria Sporting Club. Umer led Victoria to both the Dhaka League and the Aga Khan Gold Cup title in 1962 as coach-cum-captain.[13] He scored twice as Victoria triumphed 5–1 over Young Taegeuk FA in the Aga Khan Gold Cup final.[14] Umer also won the National Championship with Dacca Division in both the 1961/62 and 1962 seasons, captaining the team in the latter.[15][16]

Dhaka Wanderers

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File:1963 Aga Khan Gold Cup runners-up Dhaka Wanderers Club.png
Umer standing third from right to left with 1963 Aga Khan Gold Cup runners-up Dhaka Wanderers Club

In 1963, Dhaka Wanderers formed a strong team to participate in the Aga Khan Gold Cup, acquiring Umer along with national teammates Ghulam Abbas Baloch, Abdul Ghafoor, Abdullah Rahi, Yusuf Jr., and Yusuf Sr. from defending champions Victoria, who had withdrawn from the tournament. After defeating Police AC, Nepal XI, Pakistan Western Railway and Indonesia XI in the semi-final, the club eventually lost 1–2 to Pakistan Railways, with Umer being the only scorer in the final. He eventually joined the club on a permanent deal in 1966.[17]

International career

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Umer first toured with the Pakistan national team to Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and China in 1956. He later represented Pakistan at the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games. Additionally, he participated in the 1959 tour to Burma and the 1960 Merdeka Cup. In the 1960 semi-final, Pakistan lost to hosts Malaysia but reached the final in the 1962 edition under Umer's captaincy, ultimately losing to Indonesia. Umer also showcased his skills in an unofficial friendly against Sweden in 1957.[1]

Umer (second from middle left to right) with the Pakistan national team for a tour to Burma in 1959
Pakistan national team at the 1960 Merdeka Tournament. Umer sitting in the middle

During the 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Umer scored a hat-trick against Iran in a 4–1 victory. He also managed to score during a 2–2 draw with Israel.[18] The qualifying tournament held in Kochi, India, also saw Pakistan earn a notable victory over India, nonetheless, failed to qualify for the main stage, finishing third out of four teams.[19]

Umer also captained Pakistan during China's football tour in Pakistan in 1963.[19] The first test in Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) ended in a 0–0 tie.[20] The second match in Peshawar ended in a 3–2 victory for Umer's side,[20] with the third fixture in Lahore ending in another 1–1 draw.[20] The final fourth match in Karachi ended in a 2–0 defeat for Pakistan.[20][19] In 1965, he also captained the national team in a tour to Ceylon, scoring a goal in a 1–3 defeat against the Ceylon national team.[3]

Post-playing career

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Following his retirement from playing, Umer continued his involvement in football as a coach. From 1971 to 1974, he served on Sindh's football selection committee while also coaching the Karachi Municipal Corporation from 1971 to 1985, and later the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board team. In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Umer was honored with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 1989,[4] and the Pride of Performance Award in 1990.[1]

Death

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Umer, who spent most his final decades in abject poverty, died on 21 March 2004.[1]

Career statistics

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International goals

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Note: Exact figures of Pakistani players before 1989 are not yet known and yet to be researched. There is also some conjecture on the status of several games regarding recognition by FIFA as "A" internationals during that period. Below are goals recorded.

Key
‡ = Unofficial Fixture
List of international goals scored by Muhammad Umer
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
- 17 May 1958 Singapore  Singapore ‡ 1–0 4–4 Non-FIFA friendly [21][22]
- 3–3 [21][22]
- 4–3 [21][22]
1 9 December 1959 Maharaja's College Stadium, Kochi, India  Iran 4–1 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification [23]
2 [23]
3 [23]
4 17 December 1959 Maharaja's College Stadium, Kochi, India  Israel 1–0 2–2 1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification [18]
5 5 August 1960 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lampur, Federation of Malaya  Thailand 7–0 1960 Merdeka Tournament [24][25]
6 [24][25]
7 30 January 1963 Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lampur, Federation of Malaya  China 3–2 Friendly [26]
- 28 February 1965 Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo, Ceylon  Ceylon ‡ 1–0 1–3 Non-FIFA friendly [3]

Honours

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Kolkata Mohammedan

Victoria SC

Dacca Division

Pakistan

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Pakistan's soccer legend Omar passes away". DAWN.COM. 23 March 2004. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Umar Baloch – The forgotten legend". Daily Balochistan Express, Quetta. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Sri Lankan's famous win in 1965 | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka". Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Pakistan Sports Board, Islamabad | Football". www.sports.gov.pk.
  5. ^ Ahmed, Feroz (10 January 1989). "Africa on the Coast of Pakistan Africa on the Coast of Pakistan". New Directions. 16 (4): 6. The people of Lyari, especially those of African origin, have all but monopolized the sport of soccer in Pakistan. All the major soccer teams in the Indian subcontinent had players from Lyari, and the winners of prestigious cups were usually Black. Muhammad Umer was one such idolized professional player in the 1950s and 1960s. He earned an international reputation while representing Pakistan 13 times, including five years as captain of the team...
  6. ^ "Unique Star School edge Ibrahim Ali Bhai School". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Leisure Leagues set to hold school football". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Aga Khan Gold Cup". The Daily Star. 22 June 2008. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  9. ^ dailyazadi (7 December 2022). "لیاری اور فٹبال کی تاریخ، لیاری میں فیفاورلڈکپ میلہ" [History of Lyari and Football, FIFA World Cup Festival in Lyari]. روزنامہ آزادی | Daily Azadi, Quetta. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  10. ^ Chaudhry, Latif (8 November 2020). "اے ٹیل آف ٹو سٹیز" [A tale of two cities]. express.pk.
  11. ^ Ali Shah, Nadir (29 August 2019). "تین فٹ بالر، تین دوست اور لیاری" [Three footballers, three friends and Lyari]. express.pk.
  12. ^ Ali Shah, Nadir (30 January 2014). "گینگ وار سے پہلے" [Before the gang war]. express.pk.
  13. ^ Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
  14. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 21 October 1962". p. 12. Retrieved 23 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 13 January 1962". p. 12. Retrieved 22 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Monday 24 December 1962". p. 14. Retrieved 22 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
  18. ^ a b "Israel Official Games 1948-1959". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan – Part II". Dawn. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  20. ^ a b c d "China - List of International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  21. ^ a b c "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Monday 19 May 1958". Retrieved 22 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ a b c "S'pore saved by late penalty The Straits Times, 18 May 1958, Page 19". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  23. ^ a b c "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 11 December 1959". Retrieved 22 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ a b "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 06 August 1960". Retrieved 22 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ a b "But they don't look the best, The Straits Times, 6 August 1960, Page 16". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  26. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 31 January 1963". Retrieved 22 May 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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