Ilyas Pasha, East Bengal stalwart of the 1990s, passes away at 61

Ilyas Pasha, former India defender and a stalwart of the East Bengal defence in the 1990s, passed away on Thursday at 61 after a prolonged illness. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons.

A right wing back who aided his team’s attacks, the soft-spoken Bangalorean made his international debut in 1987 and represented the country in two editions of the Nehru Cup (1987, 1991), the 1991 SAF Games and the 1992 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The phase which endeared him to Kolkata’s football fraternity, however, was a nine-year period with East Bengal, during which he won a whopping 28 trophies for the club: which included five Calcutta Football League and IFA Shield cups each, four Durand Cups and two Rovers Cups.

Pasha began his football journey with Vinayaka Football Club, in north Bengaluru's Vyalikaval, where he came from. His consistent performances soon earned him a move to Indian Telephone Industries in the mid-1980s, a public sector team and a powerhouse in those days. From 1987, he became a regular feature for Karnataka in the Santosh Trophy, representing the state three years on the trot. He also won two Santosh Trophy titles with Bengal in 1993 and 1995.

He kept his toehold in Kolkata with Mohammedan Sporting, which won the now defunct Sait Nagjee Trophy and the Nizam Gold Cup in 1989. However, his stint with the red-and-gold brigade turned out to be the most defining phase of his club career, when Pasha became an integral part of one of the club’s most successful eras. He captained East Bengal during the 1993-94 season and was a trusted figure under the late coach Subhas Bhowmick.  

An unflappable character, Pasha was ever reliable in defence with his sense of timing, calm demeanour, and ability to read the game. Rarely flustered under pressure, his anticipation and well-judged tackles ensured that opposing left wingers found little joy on his flank.

He was a member of East Bengal’s celebrated triple crown-winning side in 1990 and captained the team to its first international title at the Wai Wai Cup in 1993. He also wore the captain’s armband when the Kolkata giants registered a sensational 6-2 victory over Iraq’s Al Zawraa SC in the 1993-94 Asian Cup Winners’ Cup. He was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from East Bengal few years back.