Masood Fakhri

Masood Fakhri
Fakhri with Mohammedan Sporting in 1955
Personal information
Full name Masood Fakhri
Date of birth (1932-11-16)16 November 1932
Place of birth Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, British India
Date of death 6 September 2016(2016-09-06) (aged 83)
Place of death Bangor Teifi, Wales
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position Left winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1952 Raiders
1952–1954 East Bengal 30+ (25)
1953 North-Western Railway
1955–1956 Kolkata Mohammedan
1956 Rovers FC
1956 Bata FC
1956–1957 Bradford City (0)
International career
1952–1955 Pakistan 13 (10)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Masood Fakhri (Punjabi: مسعود فخری; 16 November 1932 – 6 September 2016) was a Pakistani professional footballer who played as a left winger.[1][2] A former Pakistani international, Fakhri was well known for his time with Indian Kolkata clubs East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.[3][4][5] He was the first Pakistani footballer to score a hat trick in an international game at the 1954 Asian Games, and the first player from South Asia to play in England, where he played for Bradford City before prematurely retiring.[6]

Early life

Fakhri was born on 16 November 1932 in Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, British India.[7] His father, Nazir Hussain Siddiqi,[8] served as a headmaster in Pakistan.[9] Fakhri was one of eight siblings, with four brothers and three sisters.[8]

Club career

Fakhri standing at the far right with Raiders FC in the 1950s

Fakhri began his club career with Raiders of Lahore in 1949.[10] At the age of 18, he was also selected to represent the Punjab representative team in the second National Football Championship held at Quetta in 1950. He won the third season played two years later in 1952.[11][12] He also represented Raiders the same year to play in the Rovers Cup in India where his team lost to Bombay Amateurs in the semi-finals, and they also beat Central Railways in the third place match.[10][13][14]

Fakhri standing at the far left with the 1952 DCM Trophy winning East Bengal team

In 1952 at the age of 20, he signed with Indian Calcutta Football League side East Bengal.[15][16][17] During his first season with the club, Fakhri helped his side win the Calcutta Football League and the Durand Cup.[18][19][7] He scored 14 goals in the Calcutta Football League alongside scoring the winning goals in his first two matches against East Bengal's biggest rivals, Mohun Bagan, and thus became a fan favorite among East Bengal supporters.[7] Fakhri also helped the team win the DCM Trophy.[7][20]

From April to May 1953 he returned to Pakistan representing North-Western Railway at the National Football Championship.[10][12] Upon returning to Kolkata, he was part of the East Bengal team that played against German side Kickers Offenbach the following month.[21] He also scored 5 goals in the Calcutta Football League. In August 1953, he was part of the East Bengal senior team's tour to the World Youth Festival in Bucharest, where he scored a goal against Lebanon XI in their 6–1 win and against Germany in the third-place play-offs in a 2–5 defeat.[22] He also featured in the friendly against FC Torpedo Moscow the same month.[23][24] The team returned from Europe to participate in the IFA Shield and reached the final where they faced Indian Cultural League. In August 1953, the Pakistan Football Federation reportedly prohibited Pakistani players from playing in India without a permit,[25][26] but East Bengal still fielded Masood Fakhri and fellow countryman Niaz Ali, stating they had received permission from the PFF. On 3 October 1953, in the 1953 IFA Shield final against the Indian Cultural League on the third replayed final, Fakhri scored for East Bengal in the 34th minute.[27] The game would result in a 1–1 tie.[28] The I.C.L. team lodged a complaint with the Indian Football Association immediately after the match against East Bengal over their fielding the Pakistani players.[28] On 11 October 1953, the IFA announced I.C.L. as the winners of the IFA Shield[29][30] after East Bengal failed to produce a written permit for the Pakistani players from the PFF and suspended the club from all football activities until 31 December 1954.[29] East Bengal challenged the decision and took the IFA to court after receiving a letter from the PFF president, Dr. A. M. Malik on 25 October 1953,[31] and had their suspension revoked.[32]

In 1954, when the National Football Championship was held in Lahore, he returned to his former team this time featuring under the name of Punjab Blue, finding the net in the 80th and 85th minutes against North-Western Railway in the final winning by 3–0.[10]

In 1955, Fakhri signed with another Kolkata club, Mohammedan. He helped the team reach the 1955 Rovers Cup final, finishing as runners-up, losing to Mohun Bagan. The following year, he would go on to win the tournament with Mohammedan Sporting against Mohun Bagan where the team avenged their loss from the previous year.[7][33]

After playing for Mohammedan Sporting, Fakhri returned to Pakistan, where he represented Rovers and Bata Sports Club in domestic competitions.[34][35][36] A few months later, Fakhri was contacted by Bert Flatley,[37] an English Football Association (FA) coach, regarding the idea of joining Bradford City. The team participated in the English football league's third division. On August 8, 1956, Fakhri officially signed a contract with the team following negotiations with Peter Jackson, the manager of the club at the time. In addition to paying his fare of £120, City secured him employment at Bradford's textile factories. Fakhri would make appearances in Bradford City's reserve team,[9][37][38][39] however, he left football early for personal reasons in 1957 after just one season with the team.[7][40]

International career

Fakhri with the Pakistan national team in 1955 (second sitting from right to left)

In 1952, Fakhri made his international debut with Pakistan at 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament against Ceylon,[41] he also made an appearance against Burma.[42] The same year, he played in a friendly match against Iran in YMCA Ground, Karachi, which resulted in a goalless draw.[10]

On 25 April 1954, Fakhri found the net in a friendly against Singapore, which ended in a 2–2 draw.[43] Later on in the starting group stage match of the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, Philippines on 2 May 1954, Fakhri became the first player from Pakistan to score a hat-trick in an international match, as Pakistan thumped Singapore 6–2. He completed the hat-trick in 5 minutes, scoring at the 42nd, 43rd and 47th minutes of the match.[44] He also scored against Burma in a 1–2 loss.[45][46][47][48] Later he was selected for the 1954 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament. He was starter for Pakistan in all three games that the team played, scoring against Burma and India.[49][50][51]

The following year, Fakhri represented Pakistan at the 1955 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, where he featured in all three games and found the net twice against Ceylon and a goal against India.[52] He also appeared in a friendly against India after the conclusion of the tournament.

Personal life

Fakhri married Rhoda Eileen and lived in Llanrwst, North Wales. His brother's family settled in Great Britain as well.[7] After retiring from football, Fakhri lived out the rest of his life living in Bangor Teifi, Wales.[7]

Death

Fakhri died on 6 September 2016, at the age of 83, at the Gwynedd Hospital in Wales.[53][11]

Legacy

"The first day I saw Masood Fakhri, I must have been 16. I kept looking at him. It felt as if some prince from a fairytale had come straight into the football field."

—  Chuni Goswami wrote as a column in Ananda Bazar Patrika.[7]

Fakhri was renowned for his excellent speed, dribbling, close control, and attacking abilities, being a frequent starter in the Calcutta Football League and on the international stage for Pakistan. Former national team players Moosa Ghazi and Ghulam Rabbani praised Fakhri's game, stating that were lucky that Masood Fakhri went to London early, otherwise it would not have been possible to take the position as a left-winger in his presence.[10]

Fakhri was also one of the most influential football players in the Indian subcontinent. It is also reported that he was the first ever footballer from the subcontinent to play in England for Bradford City in the late 1950s.[7][54][6]

Career statistics

International goals

Scores and results list Pakistan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fakhri goal.
List of international goals scored by Masood Fakhri
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 25 April 1954 Jalan Besar Stadium, Kallang, Singapore  Singapore 2–2 Friendly [55]
2 2 May 1954 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines  Singapore 3–1 6–2 1954 Asian Games [45]
3 4–1 [45]
4 5–2 [45]
5 5 May 1954 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines  Burma 2–1 2–1 1954 Asian Games [45]
6 19 December 1954 Calcutta FC Ground, Kolkata, India  Burma 1–1 1954 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament [56]
7 26 December 1954 Calcutta FC Ground, Kolkata, India  India 1–3 1954 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament [56]
8 21 December 1955 Dacca Stadium, Dhaka, East Pakistan  Ceylon 1–0 2–1 1955 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament [56]
9 2–0 [56]
10 24 December 1955 Dacca Stadium, Dhaka, East Pakistan  India 1–2 1955 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament [56]

Honours

Punjab

East Bengal

Mohammedan Sporting

  • Rovers Cup:
    • Winners (1): 1956
    • Runners-up (1): 1955

Pakistan

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan – Part I". www.dawn.com. Karachi, Pakistan: Dawn. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "I.C.L. and East Bengal Draw for the Third Time - Pak Players Included in Calcuta Side - Bombay Team Lodge Protest After Match". The Indian Express. 4 October 1953. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ↑ soumen78 (31 March 2016). "List of Foreign Players to Play for East Bengal Club from 1942 – East Bengal Club, India – Records, Funs and Facts". Eastbengalclubrecords.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "TEAM ARCHIVES - East Bengal FC". Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "TEAM ARCHIVES - East Bengal FC". Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  6. 1 2 "East Bengal Club - Legends". eastbengalclub.co.in. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2021. Masood Fakhri: Left-Out. Played for East Bengal from 1952 - 1954. He hailed from Pakistan and was the first sub-continent Footballer to play professional league in England for a couple of years from 1955. He toured USSR and Romania with East Bengal Club in 1953.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sarmah, Bhargab (17 September 2016). "Masood Fakhri: Pakistan's Football Wizard Who Captivated Kolkata Maidan". NDTV Sports. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  8. 1 2 "The obituary notice of Masood FAKHRI". funeral-notices.co.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Pleased BRADFORD CITY are delighted at the progress of 23-year-old Pakistan outside left, Masood Fakhri". britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. 23 September 1956.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "فٹ بال ہیروز کی دنیا" [World of Football Heroes]. Daily Dunya (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 4 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 natasha.raheel (12 September 2016). "Unsung hero: Former Pakistani footballer Masood Fakhri passes away". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 17 April 1954". Retrieved 7 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ↑ "রোভার্স কাপে পাকিস্তানি দল, ইস্টবেঙ্গলের ফকরি ও রিয়াসত আলির যোগদানের কথা" [Pakistani team in Rovers Cup, Fakhri and Riasat Ali to join from East Bengal]. Jugantor (in Bengali). 26 September 1952.
  14. ↑ "1965: The year India, Pakistan began sparring in sports". The Times of India. 31 August 2015. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  15. ↑ The World Sports Today (1 August 2020). "100 years of East Bengal: A timeline of Kolkata giant's key milestones". The World Sports Today. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  16. ↑ Basu, Joydeep (25 January 2021). "Indian football: Fred Pugsley, Chima Okorie, Ranti Martins – the foreign strikers who shone in India". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  17. ↑ Banerjee, Ritabrata (16 May 2020). "Indian Football - The 10 best foreigners to have played for East Bengal". Goal. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  18. ↑ Sen, Debayan (1 August 2020). "A century of excellence: East Bengal's greatest hits". ESPN. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  19. ↑ Chatterjee, Sayan (6 April 2021). "Top 5 foreign footballers to have played in India". Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  20. ↑ "The saga of East Bengal – The Hindu". www.thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  21. ↑ Neil Morrison (12 November 2015). "Kickers Offenbach (West Germany) Asian tour 1953". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  22. ↑ "History - East Bengal Club". East Bengal Club. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  23. ↑ "Soccer Barefoot 1953 (21.08) Torpedo (Ussr) - East Bengal Club (India)- 3-3. Aleks Chistogan – thewikihow". www.thewikihow.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  24. ↑ Roy, Gautam; Ball, Swapan (2007). "East Bengal Football Club – Famous Players". www.eastbengalfootballclub.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  25. ↑ PTI (4 September 1953). "Pak Soccer Players Debarred from Playing in India". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  26. ↑ PTI (2 August 1953). "SUSPENDED PAK PLAYERS CAN'T PLAY IN INDIA". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  27. ↑ "India 1953". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  28. 1 2 "I.C.L. and East Bengal Draw for the Third Time - Pak Players Included in Calcuta Side - Bombay Team Lodge Protest After Match". The Indian Express. 4 October 1953. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  29. 1 2 "I.C.L. Awarded IFA Shield - Suspension of East Bengal recommended". The Indian Express. 12 October 1953. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  30. ↑ "India - List of IFA Shield Finals". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  31. ↑ "I.F.A. Tourney Committee Asked to Reconsider Decision on E. Bengal". The Indian Express. 2 November 1953. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  32. ↑ "E. BENGAL CLUB OBTAIN INTERIM INJUNCTION - Suspension By I.F.A. Taken Before Calcutta High Court". The Indian Express. 9 November 1953. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  33. ↑ "India - List of Rovers Cup Finals". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  34. ↑ "MOHD ISMAIL SHIELD". britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. 8 April 1956.
  35. ↑ "One Player Bites Another". britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. 4 April 1956.
  36. ↑ "HAJI AMIN SOCCER". britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. 4 April 1956.
  37. 1 2 "Fakhri plays a serious game on Saturday". britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. 6 September 1956.
  38. ↑ "PAKISTANI WINGER MAKES DEBUT". britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. 7 September 1956.
  39. ↑ "Nottingham Guardian". britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. 22 October 1956.
  40. ↑ Legendary Pakistani footballer Masood Fakhri silently passes away at 83 in Wales Archived 15 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine sportscrunch.in. Retrieved 3 July 2021
  41. ↑ "Times of Ceylon 1952.03.19 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  42. ↑ "Times of Ceylon 1952.03.21 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  43. ↑ "AGAIN – THAT FIGHTING SPIRIT". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  44. ↑ "Pakistan Beat Singapore 6-2 At Soccer". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 "Asian Games 1954". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  46. ↑ The Indian Express. The Indian Express.
  47. ↑ "Pakistan and India out of soccer". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  48. ↑ "Singapore ROUTED AFTER 1-1 INTERVAL". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  49. ↑ eap.bl.uk https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP262-1-2-18-351#?xywh=-6688,-6407574,20228,12824823&cv=5&open=true. Retrieved 4 August 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  50. ↑ eap.bl.uk https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP262-1-2-18-353#?xywh=3010,5543,2050,1450&cv=5&open=true. Retrieved 4 August 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  51. ↑ eap.bl.uk https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP262-1-2-18-358#?xywh=1424,5697,3418,2418&cv=5&open=true. Retrieved 4 August 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  52. ↑ eap.bl.uk https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP262-1-2-19-350#?xywh=1229,799,6747,4839&cv=7&open=true. Retrieved 4 August 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  53. ↑ Masood Fakhri, ex-East Bengal football star from Pakistan, no more The Times of India. Retrieved 3 July 2021
  54. ↑ Bhattacharya, Nilesh (13 September 2016). "Masood Fakhri, ex-East Bengal football star from Pakistan, no more". Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  55. ↑ "Page 12 Singapore Standard, 26 April 1954". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  56. 1 2 3 4 5 "Asian Quadrangular Tournament (Colombo Cup) 1952-1955". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  57. ↑ Armband (9 November 2019). "East Bengal Football Club: History and Emergence". Sports-nova. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  58. ↑ Banerjee, Ritabrata (12 April 2020). "Indian Football: Down the memory lane – East Bengal's 'Golden era' of 1970s". Goal. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  59. ↑ "Asian Quadrangular Tournament (Colombo Cup) 1952–1955". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  60. ↑ "The Indian National Team at the Colombo Cup". indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 13 June 2003. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  61. ↑ Morrison, Neil (1999). "Asian Quadrangular Tournament 1954 (Calcutta, India)". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.

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