Azeez Zainulabdeen
 Zainul pictured post-retirment | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Azeez Zainulabdeen | ||
| Date of birth | Unknown | ||
| Place of birth |
Colombo, British Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) | ||
| Date of death | 13 September 2010 | ||
| Place of death | Colombo, Sri Lanka | ||
| Position | Inside right | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Victory FC | |||
| International career | |||
| 1963–1968 | Ceylon | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Azeez Zainulabdeen (Sinhala: අසීස් සයිනුලාබ්දීන්; died 13 September 2010) was a Sri Lankan football player who primarily played as a inside-right. He was captain of the Sri Lanka national team in 1968.
Club career
[edit]Zainul spent majority of his club career with Victory Football Club of Colombo.[1]
International career
[edit]Zainul represented the Ceylon FA XI the de facto national team at the 1962 Aga Khan Gold Cup. During the tournament, he scored four goals in a 9–1 demolishing of Dhaka Central Jail.[2] In 1963, he was part of the Ceylon national team that played home and away matches against India in the 1964 Summer Olympics qualifiers.[3]
On 28 February 1965, Ceylon secured their first international victory on home soil, defeating Pakistan 3–1 at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, with Zainul scoring the finishing goal, a "thirty metres bullet shot just before the final whistle" to beat Pakistani custodian, Muhammad Latif.[4] In March 1968, he represented the team in two 1968 Summer Olympics qualification matches against Israel.[5] In the same year, Zainul, who had represented Ceylon Colts XI in the Aga Khan Gold Cup in every edition starting from 1962, captained the team to a runners-up finish in the 1968 Aga Khan Gold Cup, losing the final 0–5 to locals Mohammedan SC.[6][7][8][9]
Post-retirment
[edit]Zainul served Victory Football Club as both player and coach. In 1962, he contested the Municipal Council elections as an independent candidate but was unsuccessful. He served as a board member under Mr. F.A. Yaseen and held several key roles, including as Technical Advisor. Additionally, he was the President of both the City Football League and the Colombo Football League, and served as the Secretary of the Nationalized Services.[1]
Death
[edit]On 13 September 2010, Zainul died after a brief illness. His funeral took place at the Jawatte Muslim Cemetery in Colombo.[5]
In March 2014, the inaugural Zainulabdeen Memorial Challenge Trophy Invitation Football Tournament, an invitational competition was organised by Victory Football Club.[10]
Career statistics
[edit]International goals
[edit]| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 February 1965 | Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo, Ceylon |  Pakistan
|
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | [4] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Zainul showed us Ronaldhino's kicks even before the Brazilian was born". The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka. 3 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Pakistan Observer 1962.10.12 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ Hassimdeen, Subhani (16 November 2014). "An unforgettable soccer encounter". The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Sri Lankan's famous win in 1965". The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Zainul no more". Daily Mirror. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "CFA Colts team enter the Agha Khan Gold Cup football final | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka". Retrieved 1 December 2025.
- ^ "Great Footballers of the past". The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Footballers of the past who entertained the crowds". The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Pakistan Observer 1968.11.13 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2025. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ^ "Zainulabdeen Invitation Football from February 23 to March 23". The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka. 16 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.