Karim Abdul Razak
Personal information
Full name Karim Abdul Razak Tanko
Date of birth (1956-04-18) 18 April 1956 (age 67)
Place of birth Kumasi, Ghana
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1975 Cornerstones
1975–1979 Asante Kotoko 345 (154)
1979–1980 New York Cosmos 3 (0)
1980–1981 Emirates
1981 Asante Kotoko
1981–1982 Al Ain
1982–1985 Arab Contractors
1985–1988 Asante Kotoko
1988–1990 Africa Sports
International career
1975–1988 Ghana 70 (25)
Managerial career
1999 Asante Kotoko
1999–2000 Dragons de l'Ouémé
2000 Ghana (assistant)
2000–2002 Stade Malien
2003–2004 Asante Kotoko
2004–2006 Stade Malien
2011–2012 Stade Malien
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Karim Abdul Razak Tanko[1] (born 18 April 1956[2]) is a Ghanaian football coach and former midfielder. He played for several clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, notably the local club Asante Kotoko and the New York Cosmos in the defunct North American Soccer League (NASL).

Popularly called the "Golden Boy", Razak 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.[3]

Razak, who also played for clubs in the UAE, Egypt and Ivory Coast, 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.

Early life

Razak was born in Kumasi to Alhaji Abdul Karimu and Hajija Ishatu. He studied at Asem Boy's Elementary School. He started his playing career at local youth team football, before moving to Kumasi Cornerstones in 1972.[4]

Club 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,[5] 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.[6]

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, 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.

International career

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.

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.[7][8] 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, eventually returning to Stade Malien for two additional seasons.

He also coached Real Tamale United in the Ghana Premier League from 2007 to 2009.

Achievements

In a 1999 poll held by the IFFHS to select the best footballers of the 20th Century, Razak ranked 31st among African players,[9] and in 2007, he was selected as one of the 30 best African footballers of the previous 50 years by CAF, through internet voting.[10] Razak's career titles and individual honours include:

Player

Asante Kotoko
New York Cosmos
Al Ain FC
Arab Contractors SC
Africa Sports

Ghana

Individual

Manager

Stade Malien
Asante Kotoko

Individual

References

  1. ^ Spelling variations of name include Karimu and Abdoul.
  2. ^ a b c UEFA.com. "All-Stars clash kick off in Bari". UEFA. Archived from the original on 12 March 2004. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  3. ^ Teye, Prince Narkortu (17 October 2018). "Ghana's 1978 Afcon winner Razak bemoans lack of national team coaching opportunity | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Goal. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  4. ^ Ojinmah, Iwedi (29 December 2004). "ABDUL "THE GOLDEN BOY" RAZAK". Nigerian Super Eagles fans website. CyberEagles.com forum. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  5. ^ Pierrend, José Luis (14 December 2000). "African Player of the Year 1978". Football statistics website. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 6 April 2007. 1. Abdul RAZAK – 58 pts – Ghana – Asante Kotoko (Gha)
  6. ^ "All-Time Player Roster". Soccer Camps of America Inc. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  7. ^ "Ghana's inside knowledge". Football:Africa. BBC. 14 September 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  8. ^ a b c Razak signs with BBC, BBC Sport. BBC. Thursday, 20 December 2001. Retrieved on 2 July 2021
  9. ^ Stokkermans, Karel. "IFFHS' Century Elections". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  10. ^ CAFonline.com. "CAF release 30 best African players in the last 50 years". Confederation of African Football. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  11. ^ "Karim Abdul Razak Tanko". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Remember me: 'Golden Boy' Abdul Razak's message to Kwesi Nyantakyi". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  13. ^ "A day in history - March 18, 1978: Ghana wins African Nations Cup for keeps". Graphic Online. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Today in history: Kotoko win LG Top-4". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  15. ^ "African Player of the Year 1978". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Kotoko - 2003 League Champions". GhanaWeb. 23 November 2003. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Kotoko are SWAG champs again". GhanaWeb. 27 April 2003. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Today in history: Kotoko win LG Top-4". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  19. ^ "SWAG confers special award on Weah". GhanaWeb. 29 December 2003. Retrieved 2 July 2021.

External links

Ghana squad – 1978 African Cup of Nations winners (3rd title)
Ghana squad – 1984 African Cup of Nations
1978 African Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament
Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament
UAE Pro League top scorers
African Footballer of the Year
Authority control databases
Categories