Maula Bakhsh Gotai (Urdu: مولا بخش گوٹائی; 1947 – 31 August 2021) alternatively spelled Maula Bux,[1] was a Pakistani professional footballer who played as a forward. Bakhsh represented the Pakistan national team from 1964 to 1974, and captained the national team in 1973. He is also one of the first and few Pakistani footballers to play professional football in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
 Bakhsh in 1967 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maula Bakhsh Gotai | ||
| Date of birth | 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Lyari, Pakistan | ||
| Date of death | (aged 73–74) | ||
| Place of death | Sharjah, United Arab Emirates | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960s | Karachi Port Trust | ||
| 1960s | Pakistan Airlines | ||
| 1960s | EPIDC | ||
| 1968–1970 | Yeni Mersin İdmanyurdu | ||
| 1974–? | Al-Shaab | ||
| International career | |||
| 1964–1974 | Pakistan | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
editBakhsh was born in Saifi Lane, in the Lyari locality of Karachi in 1947.[1][2] He started playing football at an early age for the local Saifi Sports Club.[3] A graduate of Karachi University, Bakhsh played for several school football teams until eventually getting selected for the Karachi youth team.[2] Most footballers in Pakistan during the early years rose through the ranks from school football.[4][5]
Club career
editWest and East Pakistan
editBakhsh played for Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Airlines departmental teams in the domestic setup in the 1960s. Like several notable players of West Pakistan, Bakhsh represented several clubs in East Pakistan at the Dhaka League, where he played for EPIDC.[2][6]
Turkey
editIn 1968, Bakhsh along with national teammate Abdul Jabbar signed for Turkish club Yeni Mersin İdmanyurdu on a two-year contract.[1][7][8][9][10] Bakhsh during an interview in 2014, reported that both faced difficulties, and could not match the stamina and fitness required for the Turkish football team, due to the poor level played in Pakistan.[11]
United Arab Emirates
editDuring the 1970s, several local leagues were launched across the Middle East, where several Pakistani players represented club sides in these leagues and some of these players even coached the clubs’ new youth setups. Subsequently, Bakhsh moved to the United Arab Emirates, where he featured for Al-Shaab CSC in Sharjah in the mid-1970s, later also coaching the team.[6][2]
International career
edit
Bakhsh represented the Pakistan national football team from 1964 to 1974. Bakhsh captained the national side in 1973, when the national team toured the far east, which included several test matches against local teams and a friendly against China ending in a 4–7 defeat.[6]
Personal life and death
editAfter retiring from football after his last spell in Sharjah, he settled in the United Arab Emirates,[2] where he passed away on 31 August 2021.[citation needed]
Career statistics
editInternational goals
editNote: Exact figures of Pakistani players before 1989 are not yet known and yet to be researched. Below are goals recorded.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 November 1967 | Rangoon, Burma |  India
|
1–1 | 1968 AFC Asian Cup qualification | [12] | |
| 2 | 10 September 1969 | Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium, Ankara, Turkey |  Turkey
|
1–0 | 2–4 | 1969 RCD Cup | [13] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Lyari boys challenge national team for open contest". DAWN.COM. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "مولابخش گوٹائی لیاری کا پیلے" [Maula Bakhsh Gotai, Lyari's Pelé]. Jasarat.com (in Urdu). 19 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "گینگ وار سے پہلے" [Before the gang war]. express.pk (in Urdu). 30 January 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Unique Star School edge Ibrahim Ali Bhai School". thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Leisure Leagues set to hold school football". thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part II". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "لٹل برازیل کا فٹبال کلچر کیسے تباہ ہوا ؟" [How was the football culture of Little Brazil destroyed?]. BBC News اردو (in Urdu). 23 June 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "ورلڈ کپ فٹبال : لیاری والوں کے دل برازیل کے لیے کیوں دھڑکتے ہیں؟" [World Cup Football: Why do Lyari's hearts beat for Brazil?]. BBC News اردو (in Urdu). 27 November 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "روزنامہ دنیا :- کھیلوں کی دنیا:-انٹرنیشنل فٹبالر عبدالجبار کراچی میں انتقال کرگئے" [International footballer Abdul Jabbar passed away in Karachi]. Roznama Dunya: روزنامہ دنیا :-. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "لیاری، جو کبھی یونان تھا اور اب بھی برازیل ہے – DW – 09.12.2022" [Lyari, once Greece and still Brazil]. dw.com (in Urdu). Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ Shah Adil, Nadir (22 December 2014). "فٹبال ٹیم ....داستان اور کچھ عالمی حقائق" [Football team ....story and some world facts].
- ^ Nilanjan Datta (2013). India NT Results.
- ^ "TURKEY PAKISTAN - Match Details TFF". tff.org. Retrieved 1 September 2024.