Moideen Kutty

Moideen Kutty (1928 – 7 September 2011), was a Pakistani footballer who played as a forward. Considered as one of the earliest pioneering footballers in Pakistan history, he was the fourth captain of the Pakistan national football team after Osman Jan, Abdul Wahid Durrani and Muhammad Sharif.

Early life
Kutty was born in Malappuram, in the Madras Presidency of British India in 1928.

Nicknamed as "Irumban" (lit. 'Iron man') due to his lethal barefoot finishing, he developed an interest in football while attending the model high school in Malappuram, where he also guided the team to victories in inter-school competitions. Following his matriculation, he enlisted in the Royal Indian Air Force in 1944. Experiencing his inaugural moments of playing football with boots during his training in Bangalore, he became an essential component of the Royal Indian Air Force football squad.

Early years
In 1947, during the Partition of British India, Kutty was serving in the Royal Indian Air Force, where the majority of his colleagues hailed from the western Punjab Province, which eventually became part of Pakistan after the independence. Consequently, he opted for Pakistan in order to remain alongside his teammates and continue his football journey. His decision was made without a full understanding of the broader ramifications of the Partition, as he held the belief that India and Pakistan would maintain friendly relations and that travel between the two nations would be seamless.

Consequently, Kutty became a part of the Royal Pakistan Air Force, which emerged following the partition of the British Indian military forces. He continued his football involvement in his new homeland.

Pakistan
In 1950, Kutty was chosen to be a part of the Pakistan Air Force football team, assuming the role of captain for the PAF team during the 1951 All-Pakistan Inter-Services Football Championship.

He also participated in the 1955 Army Football Tournament that took place in Iran, which showcased army football teams from India, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. The Pakistan Army team achieved victories against India and Iran, secured a draw against Syria and Iraq, but faced a loss to Turkey. Overall, they finished in the second position behind the Turkish team in the Army Tournament.

During Iran's tour of Pakistan in 1956, Kutty represented a Pakistan Combined Services team in a match against Iran. After Iran secured a 1–0 victory over Pakistan at the YMCA Ground in Karachi, the Combined Services team managed to turn the tables by defeating Iran 2–1 in the subsequent game, avenging Pakistan's earlier loss.

International career
Kutty made his debut with the Pakistan national team during the 1952 Colombo Cup. In his debut match, Kutty scored against the host team, Ceylon, making a notable debut. Pakistan played its first match against India after victories over Ceylon and Burma, which ended in a goalless draw and emerged as joint winners of the tournament after finishing with the same points in the table.

In the subsequent edition of the tournament held in Burma in 1953, he scored two goals against Ceylon in Pakistan's resounding 6–0 victory.

He was appointed captain of the Pakistan team for the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, where he made a significant impact by scoring a goal and providing an assist in Pakistan's 6–2 victory over Singapore.

Managerial career
Following his playing career, Moideen Kutty transitioned into coaching roles. In 1956, he took on the position of coach for both the Pakistan Services and Air Force teams. Subsequently, he briefly coached the Pakistan senior team. His coaching journey extended to mentoring various youth teams for a span of over 12 years.

Personal life
In recognition of his significant contributions to sports, Moideen Kutty was honored with the Pride of Performance Award, a prestigious civilian accolade in Pakistan. He received this recognition from President Yahya Khan in the year 1969.

Despite facing numerous procedural challenges, Kutty managed to make visits to Malappuram during the 1980s and 90s to see his mother and brothers.

Moideen's spouse, Sainaba, who passed away in 1987, also originated from Malappuram. The couple had a total of two sons and three daughters, and together, they resided in Karachi.

Death
Moideen passed away on 7 September 2011 in Karachi, at the age of 83.

International goals
''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.''

Honours
Pakistan


 * Colombo Quadrangular Cup: 1952

Individual
 * Pride of Performance – Pakistan: 1969