Saboo (footballer)

Mahbub Khan
Saboo with Kolkata Mohammedan in 1940
Personal information
Full name Mahbub Khan
Date of birth c. 1917
Place of birth Unknown[a]
Date of death (aged 64–65)[3]
Place of death Bengaluru, India
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[4]
Position Inside left
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1930s–1940s Mohammedan SC (45+)
International career
1938–1946 India XI
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mahbub Khan (c. 1917 – 6 June 1980),[3] commonly known as, Saboo, was a footballer who played as a Inside left. He was one of the most well-known players of Kolkata Mohammedan throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

Club career

Saboo played for Mohammedan Sporting Club of Calcutta throughout the 1930s as well as the 1940s.

In 1936, Saboo was instrumental in Mohammedan's 1936 IFA Shield triumph, notably scoring a hat-trick in the semi-finals against Howrah Union to win the match 4–0.[5]

In 1940, After an early goal by Noor Mohammad in the 24th minute, Saboo would score the winning goal in the historic 1940 Durand Cup final against the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, securing a 2–1 victory.[1][6][7][8][9] He also helped the club become the first ever Indian club to win the Durand Cup. He would also finish as the league's top goal-scorer with 11 goals the same year.[10]

The following year, In the IFA Shield, he scored seven goals in a ten to nil win for Mohammedan SC.[11] He also played a key role in helping the team win the tournament the very same year, scoring in the final alongside teammate Rashid Khan.[10] As well as netting in 16 goals in the league, becoming the league's top goal-scorer back-to-back.[10]

International career

In 1938, Saboo was selected to represent an Indian XI for their tour to Australia.[12] He was also selected to represent the team for their tour of South Africa in 1946.[13]

Death

Saboo died on 6 June 1980 in Bengaluru, India.[3]

Honours

Mohammedan Sporting

Notes

  1. ^ Some sources state he was from North-West Frontier Province,[1] while others state he was from Bangalore.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "How Mohammedan Sporting's glorious past is linked to its uncertain future". Quartz. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  2. ^ Sen, Ronojoy (27 October 2015). Nation at Play: A History of Sport in India. Columbia University Press. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-231-53993-7.
  3. ^ a b c "স্বস্মৃতির আখরে আর একটি নাম আব্বাস মীর্জা" [Another name at the end of the memory is Abbas Mirza] (in Bengali). Krirajagat. 1 October 1980. p. 6. কলিকাতা মোহামেডানের কৃতী খেলোয়াড় মাহবুব খান ওরফে সাবু, মারা যান গত ৬ই জুন-ভারতের বাঙ্গালোরে, তাঁর নিজ শহরে। [Mahbub Khan, alias Saboo, a veteran player of Kolkata Mohammedan, died on 6th June in his hometown of Bangalore, India.]
  4. ^ "INDIAN SOCCER TEAM". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 August 1938. p. 15. Retrieved 29 January 2026 – via trove.nla.gov.au.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ The Indian Express. The Indian Express.
  6. ^ Faizan (28 August 2025). "Mohammedan SC's Iconic 1940 Durand Cup Victory". TFB. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  7. ^ Mishra, Aniket (29 August 2015). "Looking back at Mohammedan Sporting's historic Durand Cup triumph". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Amrita Bazar Patrika". 8 December 1940.
  9. ^ The Indian Express. The Indian Express.
  10. ^ a b c Ray, Rishav (19 July 2024). A Game of Two Halves: The Story of the Golden Era of Indian Club Football. Exceller Books.
  11. ^ "Thursday, 31 July 1941, Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore)".
  12. ^ "I.F.A. TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA". The Civil and Military Gazette. 2 August 1938. Retrieved 29 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "INDIAN FOOTBALL TEAM FOR SOUTH AFRICA". The Civil and Military Gazette. 19 June 1946. Retrieved 29 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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