Osman Jan

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Osman Jan

| image = File:Osman Jan 1938.jpg

| caption = Osman in 1938

| fullname =

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=6}}

| birth_date = Unknown

| birth_place = Delhi, British India

| death_date = Unknown

| death_place = Karachi, Pakistan

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Delhi Crescent Club

| years1 = 1935–1939

| clubs1 = Kolkata Mohammedan

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1930s

| clubs2 = Aryan

| years3 = 1941–1942

| clubs3 = Bengal

| years4 = 1944–1945

| clubs4 = Delhi

| nationalyears1 = 1950

| nationalteam1 = Pakistan

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 =

}}

Osman Jan (Urdu: {{Nastaliq|عثمان جان}}) was a footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Jan is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the Indian subcontinent during the 1930s and 1940s. With a short height measuring 5'6", Jan was praised for his long-range leap and a powerful fist.{{Cite web |date=2020-03-30 |title=Indian football: The tale of the unbeatable Mohammedan Sporting side of 1930s {{!}} Goal.com |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/indian-football-the-tale-of-the-unbeatable-mohammedan-sporting-side-of-1930s/1loskn0qvp1qj1e9u5uuucokf4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530141108/https://www.goal.com/en/news/indian-football-the-tale-of-the-unbeatable-mohammedan-sporting-side-of-1930s/1loskn0qvp1qj1e9u5uuucokf4 |archive-date=30 May 2024 |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=www.goal.com |language=en}} He was also renowned for his outfield play mind and one-on-one situations.

Born in British India, he was part of the Calcutta League dominant side Mohammedan Sporting in the 1930s. He also represented Aryan FC. Osman played for Bengal and Delhi in the Santosh Trophy and was the first footballer to win the Santosh Trophy for two different states.{{Cite web |date=26 December 2022 |title=Osman Jan, Delhi's Santosh trophy hero who also captained Pakistan |url=https://theprint.in/sport/osman-jan-delhis-santosh-trophy-hero-who-also-captained-pakistan/1282459/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226040117/https://theprint.in/sport/osman-jan-delhis-santosh-trophy-hero-who-also-captained-pakistan/1282459/ |archive-date=26 December 2022 |access-date=14 August 2023 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US |agency=ANI |location=New Delhi}}

Osman was appointed captain of the Pakistan national team in their international debut in 1950, and became the first ever captain in the country's history.{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2010-12-23 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Part I |url=https://www.dawn.com/2010/12/23/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-part-i/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=2022-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904220323/https://www.dawn.com/2010/12/23/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-part-i/ |url-status=live }}

Club career

File:1937 Calcutta League winning Mohammedan Sporting Club.jpg winning Kolkata Mohammedan team]]

Initially playing for Delhi Crescent Club, Osman was recruited by Mohammedan Sporting in 1935.{{Cite web |last=Sengupta |first=Somnath |date=2011-05-27 |title=Legends of Indian Football : Mohammedan Sporting in 1930s |url=https://thehardtackle.com/2011/legends-of-indian-football-mohammedan-sporting-in-1930s/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=TheHardTackle.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Tripathi |first=Punit |date=2016-08-20 |title=Mohammedan Sporting FC: Tale of 'India's Invincibles' |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/indian-football/mohammedan-sporting-fc-tale-indias-invincibles |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=www.sportskeeda.com |language=en}} He further became a key player during the club's dominance Calcutta League in the 1930s.{{Cite web |last=Santhosh |first=Aswathy |date=2024-04-06 |title=A journey through time: Mohammedan Sporting's storied history in Indian football |url=https://thebridge.in/football/mohammedan-sporting-club-i-league-isl-46793 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522112350/https://thebridge.in/football/mohammedan-sporting-club-i-league-isl-46793 |archive-date=2024-05-22 |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2014-10-24 |title=How Mohammedan Sporting's glorious past is linked to its uncertain future |url=https://qz.com/india/286516/how-its-glorious-past-is-linked-to-the-uncertain-future-of-mohammedan-sporting |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530141107/https://qz.com/india/286516/how-its-glorious-past-is-linked-to-the-uncertain-future-of-mohammedan-sporting |archive-date=30 May 2024 |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=Quartz |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-10-19 |title=Five best 'international' wins by Indian clubs |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/37495587/five-best-international-wins-indian-clubs |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}

He won the inaugural edition of the Santosh Trophy with Bengal in 1941.

Osman's return to his hometown in Delhi,{{Cite book |last1=Dimeo |first1=Paul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Zm0AQAAQBAJ |title=Soccer in South Asia: Empire, Nation, Diaspora |last2=Mills |first2=James |date=2013-10-23 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-27650-8 |pages=22 |language=en}} after successful stints at Mohammedan Sporting and Aryan FC in Kolkata helped build a strong Delhi team.{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gLqBAAAAMAAJ |title=The Story of Football |date=2002 |publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India |isbn=978-81-230-0782-3 |pages=64–82 |language=en |quote=}} Under his captaincy, Delhi achieved an unexpected triumph in the 1944 Santosh Trophy, defeating all time champions Bengal 2–0 in the final. This victory remains Delhi's sole triumph in the National Football Championship.

After the partition of India, Osman went over to Pakistan where he helped Keamari Union club to win All-Pakistan trophy in Lahore. On 29 April 1950, Osman was included as guest in the squad of Heroes Club from Peshawar for a tour to Iran in May.{{Cite web |title=Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 30 April 1950 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19500430/124/0009 |access-date= |via=British Newspaper Archive}}

International career

Osman was appointed captain of the Pakistan national team in their international debut during a trip to Iran and Iraq in October 1950.{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Tour of Iran and Iraq 1950 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesp/paki-ii50.html |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=www.rsssf.org |archive-date=2023-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721154213/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesp/paki-ii50.html |url-status=live }}

Osman made his debut in Pakistan's first ever international match on 27 October 1950 against Iran in the Amjadiyeh Stadium in Teheran.{{Cite web |title=Statistics: Iran [ Team Melli] |url=https://www.teammelli.com/matchdata/details/matchdetails.php?id=11 |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=www.teammelli.com |archive-date=2023-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721154214/https://www.teammelli.com/matchdata/details/matchdetails.php?id=11 |url-status=live }} Reportedly the Pakistan national team played the match barefoot, which was the norm in South Asia at the time. Pakistan also engaged in unofficial friendly matches during the tour, defeating Tehran's Taj FC (now Esteghlal FC) with a 6–1 scoreline and drawing 2–2 against a team from Isfahan.

In Iraq, due to the Iraqi FA's inability to gather a full national team, Pakistan played an unofficial friendly against the club Haris al-Maliki resulting in a 1–1 draw at Baghdad in front of a 10,000 crowd, playing once again barefoot, with the heroics of Osman keeping Pakistan from losing in the dying minutes of the game.

Post-retirement

On 4 July 1951, Osman was appointed as coach of the Pakistan Air Force football team on behalf of the Pakistan Football Federation.{{Cite web |title=Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 05 July 1951 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19510705/102/0008 |access-date= |via=British Newspaper Archive}} On 17 November 1961, Osman was appointed as member of the selection committee of the Karachi Division football team for the National Football Championship.{{Cite web |title=Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 18 November 1961 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003221/19611118/227/0013 |access-date= |via=British Newspaper Archive}}

After his death, a tournament was started in his memory in Karachi.{{Cite web |last=Kapadia |first=Novy |date=2012-11-17 |title=Delhi Football - A trip down memory lane |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/indian-football/delhi-football-a-trip-down-memory-lane |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=www.sportskeeda.com |language=en}}