Karim Abdul Razak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Abdul Razak | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Karim Abdul Razak Tanko | |
| Date of birth | September 5, 1961 | |
| Place of birth |  Kumasi, Ghana |
|
| Playing position | Midfielder | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1972–1975 1975–1979 1979–1981 1981–1982 1982–1983 1983–1985 1985–1988 1988–1990 |
Cornerstones Asante Kotoko New York Cosmos Asante Kotoko Al Ain FC Arab Contractors Asante Kotoko Africa Sports |
|
| National team | ||
| Ghana |
70 (25) | |
| Teams managed | ||
| 1999 1999–2000 2000 2000–2002 |
Asante Kotoko AS Dragons FC de l'Ouémé Ghana Stade Malien |
|
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Karim Abdul Razak Tanko[1] (born September 5, 1961[2]) is a Ghanaian football coach and former midfielder who played for several clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, notably local club Asante Kotoko and the New York Cosmos in the defunct North American Soccer League (NASL).
Popularly called the "Golden Boy", he also played for the Ghana national team, helping it win the 1978 African Cup of Nations. He was named African Footballer of the Year later that year.
Razak, who also played for clubs in the UAE, Egypt, and Côte d'Ivoire, was ranked by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2007 as one of the confederation's 30 best footballers of the previous 50 years.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Razak was born at Kumasi to Alhaji Abdul Karimu and Hajija Ishatu, and had his basic education at Asem Boy's Elementary School. He started his playing career at local youth team football, before moving to Kumasi Cornerstones in 1972.[3]
[edit] Professional playing career
In 1975, he moved to Ghana's most successful club, Asante Kotoko. After a four-year spell with Kotoko, during which he became a member of the national team and earned the 1978 African Footballer of the Year award[4], Razak left Ghana in 1979 for the New York Cosmos of the NASL, where he played alongside former World Cup winners Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto.[5]
In 1981, after spending almost two years at the New York club, the Ghanaian forward decided to return home, signing with his former club Asante Kotoko. After one year, he moved again, this time to Al Ain of UAE, where he spent two seasons. Razak then signed with Arab Contractors of Egypt, where he spent the next two years of his playing career. before returning to Ghana for a third spell with Kotoko. After another five years with the Ghanaian club, Razak moved to Ivorian side Africa Sports of Abidjan, where he retired two years later.
[edit] National team
Razak was a member of the Ghana national team that competed at the 1978 African Cup of Nations as hosts of the tournament. He scored two game-winning goals, one against Zambia in the first round, and another one to defeat Tunisia 1-0 in semi-finals. His decisive goal against Tunisia has been referred to as the "Golden Goal". Ghana defeated Uganda in the final, winning their 3rd continental title. In good part due to his effort to help Ghana win the African Cup, Razak was named African Player of the Year months later, becoming the second of three Ghanaian players ever to win the award.
According to a UEFA report,[2] Razak appeared in a total of 70 international matches for Ghana, scoring 25 goals.
[edit] Coaching career
After retiring from playing, Razak, who had become a player-coach while at Al Ain, started his coaching career, being in charge of several semi-professional Togolese clubs, before moving to Benin's AS Dragons FC de l'Ouémé.
In 2000, he had a short spell as an assistant coach of the Ghana national team. After leaving the Ghanaian side, Razak went to Mali, where he won the Malien Premiere Division and cup double with Stade Malien. The club did not lose any matches on its way to winning the title.[6] In 2003, he was appointed the coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and helped the club win their first local league in ten years. He discharged of his post after the 2003-04 league season.
[edit] Achievements
In a 1999 poll held by the IFFHS to select the best footballers of the 20th Century, Razak ranked 31st among African players,[7] and in 2007, he was selected as one of the 30 best African footballers of the previous 50 years by the CAF, through internet voting.[8] Razak's career titles and individual honours include:
- 1978 African Cup of Nations - Winner
- 1978 African Footballer of the Year
- Player of the Year in Egypt: 1983, 1985[2]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Tarak Dhiab |
African Footballer of the Year 1978 |
Succeeded by Thomas Nkono |
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Spelling variations of name include Karimu and Abdoul.
- ^ a b c UEFA.com. All-Stars clash kick off in Bari. UEFA. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
- ^ Ojinmah, Iwedi (29 December 2004). ABDUL "THE GOLDEN BOY" RAZAK. Nigerian Super Eagles fans website. CyberEagles.com forum. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
- ^ Pierrend, José Luis (14 December 2000). African Player of the Year 1978. Football statistics website. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-04-06. “1. Abdul RAZAK - 58 pts - Ghana - Asante Kotoko (Gha)”
- ^ All-Time Player Roster. Soccer Camps of America Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
- ^ "Ghana's inside knowledge", Football:Africa, BBC. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
- ^ Stokkermans, Karel. IFFHS' Century Elections. RSSSF. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
- ^ CAFonline.com. CAF release 30 best African players in the last 50 years. Confederation of African Football. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
