Mohammad Essa, one of Pakistan's rising football stars, said on Sunday he has been invited to play for an Indian club after he won the play0er of the series title against 0India on Saturday. "I have been invited by the East Bengal club to play in the famous Calcutta League," 24-year old Essa told AFP. "It's a great honour for me to follow in the footsteps of some of my illustrious countrymen who played league football in India."
Abdul Ghafoor, Abid Ghazi, Musa Ghazi, Mohammad Ghazi and Mohammad Hussain played in the Calcutta League but the practice was discontinued after the 1965 war between the two nations.
Hussain also led the famous Mohan Bagan club in the 1950s.
The drawn football series which finished here Saturday was the first ever between India and Pakistan.
Essa scored a second-minute goal during Pakistan's emphatic 3-0 win. He had also scored the equaliser with a curling free-kick in the first match last week to earn Pakistan a 1-1 draw at Quetta. India won the second match at Peshawar 1-0.
Pakistan will keep the trophy by virtue of their superior goal difference. A second series is likely to be played in India next year.
"The series has proved that both India and Pakistan can benefit by playing each other," said Essa.
Pakistan coach Tariq Lutfi said more encounters between the two neighbours could help improve the standard of the game.
"It's a welcome sign that Pakistan and India have played the first-ever series. You improve by playing teams of your region and the series helped lift Pakistan's standard," said Lutfi.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, chief guest at the last match, also acclaimed the sporting co-operation.
"It's a welcome sign that India furthered sporting ties by sending their football team and we must continue this co-operation," said Aziz.
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