Karim Abdul Razak

Infobox Football biography
playername = Abdul Razak


fullname = Karim Abdul Razak Tanko
dateofbirth = birth date and age |1961|9|5
cityofbirth = flagicon|GHA Kumasi
countryofbirth = Ghana
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname = Golden Boy
position = Midfielder
currentclub =
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1972–1975
1975–1979
1979–1981
1981–1982
1982–1983
1983–1985
1985–1988
1988–1990
clubs = Cornerstones
Asante Kotoko
New York Cosmos
Asante Kotoko
Al Ain FC
Arab Contractors
Asante Kotoko
Africa Sports
caps(goals) =
nationalyears =
nationalteam = fb|GHA
nationalcaps(goals) = 70 (25)
manageryears = 1999
1999–2000
2000
2000–2002

managerclubs = Asante Kotoko
AS Dragons FC de l'Ouémé
Ghana
Stade Malien

Karim Abdul Razak Tanko [Spelling variations of name include Karimu and Abdoul.] (born September 5, 1961cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/meridiancup/news/kind=1/newsid=1880.html |title=All-Stars clash kick off in Bari |accessdate=2007-04-06 |author=UEFA.com |publisher=UEFA] ) 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.

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.cite web |url=http://www.cybereagles.com/articles/default.asp?id=69 |title=ABDUL "THE GOLDEN BOY" RAZAK |accessdate=2007-04-06 |date=29 December 2004 |last=Ojinmah |first=Iwedi |work=Nigerian Super Eagles fans website |publisher=CyberEagles.com forum]

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 [cite web |url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/afrpoy78.html |title=African Player of the Year 1978 |accessdate=2007-04-06 |last=Pierrend |first=José Luis |date=14 December 2000 |work=Football statistics website |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |quote=1. Abdul RAZAK - 58 pts - Ghana - Asante Kotoko (Gha)] , 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. [cite web |url=http://www.nycosmos.com/cosmos/alltimeroster.html |title=All-Time Player Roster |accessdate=2007-04-07 |publisher=Soccer Camps of America Inc.]

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.

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, Razak appeared in a total of 70 international matches for Ghana, scoring 25 goals.

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. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/1544464.stm |title=Ghana's inside knowledge |accessdate=2007-04-07 |14 September 2001 |work=Football:Africa |publisher=BBC] 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.

Achievements

In a 1999 poll held by the IFFHS to select the best footballers of the 20th Century, Razak ranked 31st among African players, [cite web |url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html#afpoy | author=Stokkermans, Karel | publisher=RSSSF | title=IFFHS' Century Elections | accessdate=2007-04-06] 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. [cite web |url=http://www.cafonline.com/news.php?id=1073 | author=CAFonline.com | publisher=Confederation of African Football | title=CAF release 30 best African players in the last 50 years | accessdate=2007-04-06] 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

Notes and references

Further reading

* [http://www.cybereagles.com/articles/default.asp?id=69 Biography at CyberEagles]