Ibrahim Mughrabi
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ibrahim Al-Mughrabi | ||
| Date of birth | 1939 | ||
| Place of birth | Aleppo, Syria[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1962 | Halab Al-Ahli | ||
| 1962–1963 | AEK Athens | 22 | (7) |
| 1963–1964 | Al Ahli | ||
| International career | |||
| Syria Military | |||
| 1965 | Palestine | 6 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ibrahim Mughrabi (Arabic: إبراهيم المغربي, born 1939 in Damascus) is a Palestinian[2] footballer who played professionally in Syria, Greece, and Egypt as a striker. He was the first foreigner to ever play in the Greek Championship. In Greece he was known as "Ibrahim".
Club career
Mughrabi studied Law at the Damascus University while playing football for Halab Al-Ahli. Hailing from a noble family, he played football mostly as a hobby.
In 1962 he moved to Athens in order to continue his studies at the University of Athens. He signed for AEK Athens, becoming the first ever foreign player to play for a Greek club. At his debut, on 27 September 1962 against Egaleo, he introduced himself to the fans of the double-headed eagle by scoring a hat-trick, in a 7–2 win. On 7 October, he opened the score with a header in the 4–0 home win against Ethnikos[3] He scored against Aris on 21 October, opening the score in the final 3–1 at home.[4] On 28 April 1963, he scored in the 3–0 home win over Panionios.[5] He shaped the last of the 5 goals of his club in the 5–1 against PAOK at home, on 5 May.[6] His last 2 goals for AEK were on 19 May 1963 in a match for the Greek Cup at home against Kalamata, where he formed the final 7–1. In his only season at AEK he won the Greek Championship.[7]
He left AEK and Greece halfway of the season returning to Syria and the following year he moved to Cairo and joined Al Ahli where he signed a professional contract. It is the first professional contract signed in Egyptian football. At the end of the season he gave up football to practice law.[2]
International career
In 1965 he played with Palestine in the 4th Pan-Arab Games held in Egypt, winning the fourth place. He scored the winner in the match against Lebanon.[8]
Personal life
Mughrabi lives for decades in Switzerland, along with his partner.[2]
Honours
AEK Athens
References
- ^ Νικόλας, Αγγελίδης (8 September 2016). "Στα χνάρια του πρώτου ξένου στην ιστορία της ΑΕΚ!". aek-live.gr (in Greek). Online.
- ^ a b c Νικόλας, Αγγελίδης (19 July 2023). "Ανακαλύψαμε... τον θρυλικό Ιμπραήμ της ΑΕΚ!". aek-live.gr (in Greek). Online.
- ^ "7/10/1962: ΑΕΚ-Εθνικός 4-0". aektoday.com.
- ^ "21/10/1962: ΑΕΚ-Άρης 3-1". aektoday.com.
- ^ "ΑΕΚ-ΠΑΝΙΩΝΙΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ Α ΕΘΝΙΚΗ". flash.gr. 29 March 2002.
- ^ Καζαντζόγλου, Σταύρος (18 October 2020). "ΑΕΚ: Ο καλός πελάτης ΠΑΟΚ". enwsi.gr.
- ^ "Ιμπραήμ". kitrinomavro.gr.
- ^ "4th Pan Arab Games, 1965 (Cairo, Egypt)". RSSSF.
External links
- Foreign Players in Greece since 1959/60 rsssf.org
- Ibrahim_Mughrabi at Wiki.phantis.com
- Ο άγνωστος Παλαιστίνιος πρώτος ξένος στην ιστορία της ΑΕΚ! gazzetta.gr