Mohammed Habib: Forgotten Hyderabadi star who became a God in Calcutta

Mohammed Habib, the darling of Calcutta and Indian football in the 70s and early 80s, breathed his last on 15 August 2023 at his residence in Tolichowki, Hyderabad.

A hero in Calcutta, who stood up when it mattered the most and dealt the finest of blows with the ball at his feet, Habib remained virtually unknown in his home city of Hyderabad.

A victim of Parkinson's disease and dementia, which severely affected his central nervous system, Habib fought hard until his dying day and passed away at the age of 74.

Habib was a product of Hyderabad's famed City College Old Boys' (CCOB) Football Club. However, few apart from some old-timers know him at the club's premises at the High Court Road in Ghansi Bazaar, and they said some wonderful things about Habib.

Salahuddin Khan, 70, a retired teacher who takes his morning constitutional at the club, knew Habib as a teenager. He said:

"There was something special about Habib even when he was just a young boy of 13 or 14. His positioning and balance with the ball at his feet were heartening to watch. He was also extremely humble and modest about his achievements too."

Mohammad Junaid Ahmed, 73, who used to run a textile business in the nearby Yakutpura, has fond memories of Habib's time at CCOB. He says:

"I used to play football with him when I was a kid but could not quite match up to his skills with the ball. He was at a level above all of us, which is why he went on to have such a stellar career in the sport."

Ramesh Kishen Pershad, 65, a retired government employee, was also a big fan of Habib's. He had even gone to the extent of travelling to Kolkata to see the latter play on a few occasions. He also paid tributes to the departed footballer:

"Habib was a unique footballer. He could change situations in the blink of an eye and make opposition defenders look foolish. He could twist this way and then turn the other."

He added:

"The crowds in Calcutta - and remember, they are raucous at the best of times - would wait with pin-drop silence whenever the ball was at his feet. It was like everyone was waiting in anticipation of what was about to come. If this isn't the hallmark of a true star, then I don't know what is."

Apart from these veterans who knew Habib intimately from his childhood, few in Hyderabad know of or remember the legendary playmaker. This is despite the fact that he was once applauded by none other than the great Pele.

Turning out for Mohun Bagan at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against Cosmos in 1977, the Hyderabadi impressed Pele with a volley of his that found the back of the net. Pele walked up to him and appreciated his timing and technical skills after the game.

Mohammed Habib represented all three of the big clubs in Kolkata, but strangely, never Hyderabad City Police

Mohun Bagan, however, was only one of the clubs that Habib represented in the City of Joy. Originally signed by East Bengal in 1966, Bade Miya, as he was popularly known, he went to play for Mohammedan SC as well. Thus, he completed the rigmarole of the honoured troika of the biggest clubs in Kolkata, and perhaps, the country.

On a personal note, my own father, a football nut who would keep an eye out for most players from the city who made a mark for themselves in the Calcutta Maidan - for that was the sole arena for footballers across the country to establish themselves back then - considers the late Habib a childhood hero of his.

Shabbir Ali, Syed Nayeemuddin, Mohammad Akbar, Victor Amalraj, Peter Thangaraj and Tulidas Balaram moved him tremendously, but it was Habib who took the icing on the cake. Habib stirred strong emotions in him, and my father shed a tear when he came to know that Habib was no more.

Habib, strangely, did not represent Hyderabad City Police FC, which was the biggest football club in the city, for reasons unknown. The club was well into its demise by the time Habib rose into prominence, and the ground was fertile for Mohammed Hussein's East Bengal to swoop for him.

However, it was with Amal Dutta at Mohun Bagan that Habib formed one of the fiercest manager-player working relationships ever known. Dutta, popularly known as the 'Diamond Coach' owing to the formation that he introduced to Indian football in general and East Bengal in particular, worked with Habib at both the Mariners and the Torchbearers.

A lot of East Bengal supporters remember Habib rather fondly for the contributions that he made for them. Pradeep Kumar Das, 54, a sweetmaker based in Esplanade, Kolkata, respects the Hyderabadi tremendously.

He says:

"We always knew that we were in the game as long as Habib was on the pitch. He was a warrior on the field, and would give everything he had for the East Bengal badge. Where others would fear to tread with their feet, Habib had no compunctions in butting his head."

Binod Dutta, 62, a former railway clerk, who made sure that he never missed a game of Habib's when he was with Mohun Bagan, remembers the tenacity of the Hyderabadi rather well. He says:

"Habib's skills both with and without the ball were noteworthy. Although he was technically an attacking midfielder, he could also play upfront as a sole striker. Habib managed to work the wings well, and that is where a lot of his success came from."

Kolkata embraced Habib as one of their own soon after he decided to turn up for Bengal instead of Andhra Pradesh in the Santosh Trophy. Along with the relatively lesser-known Santo Mitra, Habib led the state to the title in 1969, and after that, Habib's turning into an adopted son of Kolkata became a virtual formality, tended to by minions.

For India too, Habib found success. The bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok will probably be the cornerstone of his international career. Skippered by fellow Hyderabadi Syed Nayeemuddin and managed by the indefatigable Pradip Kumar Banerjee, the Blue Tigers were practically untouchable in that tournament. Habib finished with 11 goals in the 35 appearances that he made for India.

Forgotten by his city and his people, Habib died virtually unknown in Hyderabad. Hyderabad FC, the city's foremost top-tier professional club, failed to even merit a mention of him the day he left for his heavenly abode, let alone mourn his passing.

Nonetheless, he is remembered affectionately in Kolkata, and peculiarly, more tears were shed in the City of Joy on August 15, 2023 than in the Deccan, which remained, steadfast to its nature, strangely laidback and unaware of the man who had once made the finest footballer to have walked on earth.

Sit up and take notice!