Abdul Razak (football player, 1961)

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Karim Abdul Razak Tanko (born September 5, 1961 in Kumasi ) is a former Ghanaian football player and current coach . The midfielder was active in the 1970s and 1980s in particular for the domestic club Asante Kotoko and New York Cosmos in the no longer existing North American Soccer League .

biography

Razak was born in Kumasi to Alhaji Abdul Karimu and Hajija Ishatu and received his basic education at Asem Boy's Elementary School. He began his playing career in the local youth football club before joining the Kumasi Cornerstones in 1972 .

Professional career

In 1975 he moved to Ghana's most successful club, Asante Kotoko . After a four-year period at Kotoko, during which he became a member of the national team and was named Africa's Footballer of the Year in 1978 , Razak left Ghana in 1979 for the New York Cosmos in the NASL . There he played together with the former world champions Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto .

National team

Razak was a member of the Ghanaian national team that hosted the 1978 African Cup of Nations. He scored two winning goals, one against Zambia in the first round and one to beat Tunisia 1-0 in the semi-finals . His decisive goal against Tunisia is often called the golden goal . In the final, Ghana defeated Uganda and won the third continental title. Months later, Razak was named Africa's Footballer of the Year due to his large part in helping Ghana to the African Cup. He was the second of only three Ghanaians to ever win the title.

According to a UEFA report , Razak appeared for Ghana a total of 70 times, scoring 25 goals.

Coaching career

After retiring from his playing career, Razak, who has since become a player- coach at the Al Ain Club , began his coaching career and was responsible for several semi-professional teams from Togo before moving to AS Dragons FC de l'Ouémé from Benin .

In 2000 he spent a short time as an assistant coach for the Ghanaian national team . After leaving Ghana, Razak went to Mali , where he won the Malien Première Division double and the cup with Stade Malien . The club did not lose a single game on the way to the title. In 2003 he was named as the coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and helped the club to win their first title in ten years. After the 2003/04 season, he resigned from his position.

successes

In a 1999 IFFHS poll aimed at identifying the best footballers of the 20th century, Razak was ranked 31st among African players and in 2007 the CAF voted for him as one of the top 30 African footballers of the last 50 years via internet voting elected. Razak's career titles and individual honors include:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ as Karimu or Abdoul known
  2. ↑ a b c UEFA.com: All-Stars clash kick off in Bari . UEFA . Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
  3. ↑ Iwedi Ojinmah: ABDUL "THE GOLDEN BOY" RAZAK . In: Nigerian Super Eagles fans website . CyberEagles.com forum. December 29, 2004. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
  4. ↑ José Luis Pierrend: African Player of the Year 1978 . In: Football statistics website . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. December 14, 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2007: “1. Abdul RAZAK - 58 pts - Ghana - Asante Kotoko (Gha) "
  5. ↑ All-Time Player Roster . Soccer Camps of America Inc .. Archived from the original on October 21, 2008. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
  6. ^ Ghana's inside knowledge . In: Football: Africa , BBC . Retrieved April 7, 2007. 
  7. ^ Stokkermans, Karel: IFFHS 'Century Elections . RSSSF . Retrieved April 6, 2007.
  8. ↑ CAFonline.com: CAF release 30 best African players in the last 50 years . Confederation of African Football . Retrieved April 6, 2007.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Razak, Abdul
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Razak Tanko, Karim Abdul
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ghanaian soccer player and coach
DATE OF BIRTH 5th September 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH Kumasi , Ghana