Top five moments of Mohammed Habib's career

Mohammed Habib was one of the most decorated footballers in India.

Former India captain Mohammed Habib passed away at the age of 74 on 15 August, 2023. Indian football is in mourning of one of the best playmakers to have ever played for the country and someone regarded as one of the best to grace the Indian domestic football scene in history.

Mohammed Habib had a decorated career in which he won a number of trophies for both country and club. That included the IFA Shield, Federation Cup and Rovers Cup –which were the prominent silverware in the Indian football scene at that time.

A bright spark for the Indian national team and both the Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the 1970s, Habib had a number of bright moments across his career. Here we look at five of the best moments in his career.

5. Winning the Triple Crown for the second time

The Former India captain won a number of trophies across his club career, which includes the ‘Triple Crown’ of Indian football in the 1970s. This comprised of the Federation Cup, IFA Shield and Rovers Cup, The first time Mohammed Habib won the ‘Triple Crown’ was by helping East Bengal to the three trophies in 1972.

He later joined Mohun Bagan, whom he also helped achieve this trio of silverware in 1977. He is one of the rare Indian footballers to have won the Triple Crown multiple times, and doing it the second time was a major feat for Habib.

4. Inspiring Bengal to win 1969 Santosh Trophy

Habib proved his mettle as an inspiring leader and captain when he produced a string of amazing performances for Bengal in the 1969 Santosh Trophy. Coming into this edition, Bengal had lost in their last four Santosh Trophy final appearances. However, Habib ensured that streak would end in that year.

He helped his side absolutely dominate all the opponents in the Santosh Trophy, before guiding them to the Santosh Trophy final. In the final, Bengal spectacularly ousted the ghosts of their previous final appearances – defeating the Services side 6-1! Habib ended the tournament with an amazing 11 goals, winning the Golden Boot by a major margin and proving himself as an inspired leader.

3. Scoring the winner in the 1972 Durand Cup final

Habib rejoined East Bengal for the second time in his career in 1970, after a short stint with Mohun Bagan. The moment that was arguably the most memorable – and best one from his second tenure came in the 1972 Durand Cup final. After the two Kolkata giants shut themselves out to a goalless draw in the first Durand Cup final, a replay of the same had to be forced. With neither team able to score in the first half of the replay, it looked like this would result in a draw – which would’ve forced the teams to share the trophy.

However, Habib produced an impressive second-half performance to blow away his former side. He ultimately took a decisive penalty in the 77th minute, sending the fans into a frenzy. East Bengal held onto the lead, with Habib ultimately going down in history having scored a famous winner to help his side win the first Durand Cup derby in their history.

2. Leading India to the 1970 Asian Games Bronze Medal

Mohammed Habib is widely considered as one of the Indian football team‘s best captains, helping them to quite a lot of success in the 1970s. However, his peak moment as a captain came in the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games. Habib was an inspired motivator for his side, rallying his teammates with some commanding speeches and leading from the front on the pitch. 

After India were held to a 2-2 draw by hosts Thailand in the opening game, Habib rallied them forward to defeat South Vietnam 2-0 in the second one, scoring a goal in it too! He’d be a major positive influence in the knockout games too, creating chances regularly. Even though he might not have scored in the Bronze Medal match against Japan, Habib was a prolific leader for the Indian side and played a major role in helping them bag the bronze medal in the football category in the Asian Games.

1. Earning Pele’s praise after New York Cosmos friendly

When Mohun Bagan got the honour of hosting Pele’s New York Cosmos in a friendly match on September 24, 1977 – Mohammed Habib was one of the best players that the Mariners had in their team. The New York Cosmos side, which also comprised players like Brazil’s World Cup winner Carlos Alberto and Italian star Giorgio Chinaglia, ended up only being able to come out with a 2-2 draw, thanks to a defiant performance from the Mariners.

One of the best performers on the pitch was Habib, who played at a high level and managed to really trouble the foreign players. His performance caught the attention of Pele himself, who specifically sought him out after the game to voice his praise and wish him the best for the future. Habib himself termed this as the best moment of his career and knowing the calibre of a football legend that Pele was, that can’t really be argued against.

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